At the beginning of my junior year of college I knew that I wanted to make some changes to my experience with The Torch. I loved what I had done thus far, but it was time for something new and different, both for myself and The Torch.
The Weekly Tiger has been an incredible opportunity to watch myself grow, foster and perfect my voice as a writer and, at times, as a critic. I’ve loved being able to use the weekly column as an outlet for an educated and more structured weekly rant. It’s been helpful for me in more ways than one, that’s for sure. Before now, I have never written something like a weekly column before and hadn’t seen a column like that in the paper throughout my years at Witt and with The Torch.
Another change that has greatly impacted my experience with The Torch this semester is my internship with the organization. While it doesn’t seem like much on paper, writing two stories per week can sometimes be a bit much, especially when academia decides to turn up the heat. Initially, I was concerned about this requirement because in my head, that also meant trying to fit two different events or potential interview times into my already busy schedule. Luckily, I was able to combine my desire to write a column and the internship requirement into something that worked best for my schedule and as a writer.
The column has helped me to also fine tune my skills as a journalist. I’ve learned that an interview based or news article might not be my strong point, but rather an outlet, like a column, that allows for some creative expression without leaving the realm of journalism is more my speed. I was able to express myself in a new way to an audience that I was already familiar with because of my previous experience with The Torch.
One thing that I have and will always love about The Torch is that it forces you to go to events on campus that you wouldn’t normally go to otherwise. Over the years, I’ve attended countless events on campus that have just blown my mind and I was so happy that I was there to cover them. For example, last semester I attended a social justice slam poetry event hosted by Union Board that was truly incredible. So many talented writers and speakers presented that night and it really moved and inspired me to do and be better.
This year was certainly a year for social change and advocating for minority groups on campus. Between the Concerned Black Students walkout on Martin Luther King Jr. day, The Colored Museum and numerous other social justice events, Witt students have made themselves heard this year. As a journalist and fellow student, these kinds of events are exciting to see, attend and write about. There’s nothing more rewarding about being a journalist than successfully covering a popular event or something that’s caused an uproar on campus.
I thoroughly enjoy my work with The Torch and am excited to see what my senior year has in store for myself and the rest of the staff. I’ve made it a goal of mine to write a yearly review of my time with The Torch every year I’ve been at Witt, and I have yet to miss my mark. I’ll see you next year, Tigers.
