Thursday, August 28, 2014

The Journey Begins

When I was a sophomore in high school, I had a friend convince me to join the school paper. I had always loved reading and writing, so I thought it would be a great experience to try my writing skills in a journalistic environment.

My first story was actually a big news story: covering the oil spill in the gulf (now I'm REALLY aging myself). I recall being so excited to write about something so important. I went around to students at my school, asking for their responses to this dreadful accident. I lived off researching the timeline of events regarding the disaster. I spent so many hours displeased and discouraged with my work, rewriting time and time again in the hopes of achieving an impossible perfection.

The moment I saw my name and story in print, I remember clearly thinking to myself, "I'm a journalist."

Tuesday, August 26, 2014

Sophomore Suspense

It is hard to believe that only a year ago, I began my academic journey at Witt. It feels as if I have been a student here for 10 years, but at the same time, it is as if I am experiencing the beginning of freshman year again.
Arriving on campus this weekend, I relived the wide-eyed wonderment and excitement of college -- seeing old friends, admiring Wittenberg's beautiful campus, and, of course, the "fine dining" via cafeteria food. Moving back in with my roommate and staying up all night laughing made it seem as though the year wasn't a terrifying idea.
But it is.
Though I am excited for everything going on this year, I cannot help but worry about my obligations. Last year, I was just a student still trying to figure out what she wanted to study and hoping to find a place where I belonged -- in social groups, departments, and clubs.
This year, I am officially declaring my English major, Journalism minor, and Music (Vocal Performance) minor, and am proud to be in the Honors Program. I am also Managing Editor/Ad Manager for The Torch, Secretary for Newman Club, a second soprano in WittChoir, a founding member of the (soon-to-be) Shakespeare Club, and a member of SAGE (Student Advisory Group in English).
So it feels like freshman year again: I am terrified. Only this time, my concern is letting everyone else down.