March 28, 2024

I have always loved to write. I can remember writing plays as a kid and forcing my siblings to be actors so we could show my parents our creation at the end of the day. But for some reason, when college rolled around and it was time to decide what major I was interested in, I really had no idea. Of course, after I figured out that I wanted to major in English, my mom just looked at me and said, “Well, duh.”

Once I started school here in the fall, I was uber interested in getting involved in as many ways as possible on campus. I had always been interested in journalism and was eager to give it a try at the collegiate level.

I’m not going to lie, the first couple of Torch meetings were a little intimidating. All of the upperclassmen there seemed eager to get back to it, and I, having just started college, was feeling extremely overwhelmed by the process.

I could never imagine myself just walking up to complete strangers to interview them. So I started small. I took a couple Word on the Street articles to get used to the way the Torch world worked and to build my confidence as an interviewer. Eventually, I was able to take on bigger stories and cover bigger events.

The first major event that I covered was the Alzheimer’s 5K walk back in September. There were so many people there and so many things happening all at once. I can remember thinking to myself, “How the hell am I gonna write this article?”

But after the article was published, I was pleased to see that I had made the front page. My confidence went through the roof. I think this was the moment I really learned to love and appreciate the power and thrill of journalism.

One aspect of writing for the Torch that I appreciate so much is that writing these articles forces you to get out there and to be involved on campus. I know that there were numerous events that if I wasn’t covering the event for the Torch, I probably wouldn’t have gone.

But I’m really glad that I did go because I had a lot of fun going to some of these events. It’s allowed me to get more involved on campus and has given me great insight into various organizations.

The Torch has helped me to grow in many, many ways. I have become more confident in my writing and, as a result, myself. Despite the ever-annoying parts of journalism, I have found real joy in being able to inform the student body of campus activities.

Writing for the Torch this year has been such a great experience. I never would’ve expected to learn and grow so much as a writer. That being said, I cannot wait to continue my career as a journalist in years to come.

 

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