A Hard Goodbye to an Incredible 2.5 Years
Me, and the newspaper that will always hold a special place in my heart. Photo by Anaiya Bobo 23'.
Saying goodbye is never easy, but saying goodbye to a place you know will impact you well after you leave is harder than anything.
When I first chose Marist, I knew my time here would fly by. Graduating in just over two years makes that a given, and I always thought I was prepared for it. But now, as things come to an end, I realize an easy goodbye was never going to be possible - especially once I had been introduced to the Circle.
The last few years with this newspaper have been instrumental in my development as a writer. It’s hard not to reflect on everything I wish I’d done and written about. It’s even harder not to think about what I could have done had I been here longer. But as I write this now, I can say without question that I am happy. I am happy with what I’ve been able to do and with the people I’ve been able to do it with. I prefer to think of graduating early as buying time to explore my interests before jumping into the real world, and without the Circle to help me grow and expand as a writer, I would never know where to start.
Serving as a staff writer, marketing director, and multimedia assistant for this newspaper were all uniquely educational roles in their own way. Writing is my passion, and having the opportunity to experiment with different styles and push myself out of my comfort was exciting and essential. Directing a distribution team for paper deliveries is hardly work when you have such an amazing, motivated group to work with. Assisting with social media and website management offered me an entire wealth of knowledge that I can take with me into a multitude of potential careers. I truly got to dip my toes in everything, and better yet, I had fun doing it.
In my time here, I worked with two different teams that made the Circle possible. This year’s team of editors and designers: Sam Murphy, Emily Stellakis, Sasha Tuddenham, Mackenzie Boric, Emma Denes, Erin-Leigh Hoffman, Andrew Breen, Amanda Nessel, Hannah Tone and Lea Papakosmas are a group of incredible talents that I know we’ll all be reading about someday. Their dedication to making this paper has been inspiring in more ways than one, and I feel a sense of pride knowing I got to work alongside them to make it happen. I can’t say goodbye without mentioning the dynamic duo of my first and second year here - managing editor Greta Stuckey and editor-in-chief Lauryn Starke. Not only did these two introduce me to the Circle, but they were there to aid and support me with each and every piece. From the very bottom of my heart, thank you all. I am so grateful for you.
They say time flies and not to hop on the bandwagon, but they’re right. Time is fleeting, and it only picks up speed when you’re nearing the end. But that should never feel like pressure to keep up with anyone else’s journey. Write what you’re passionate about when you’re passionate about it. Pitch what grabs your attention. And if you have even the slightest interest in it, or it scares you to death - try it out. Worst case scenario, it sucks, you learn something, and you write something new the next week. Our voices are beautifully unique, and the way I see it, our only responsibility is not to deprive the world of them.
I love ya; you’re awesome; Roll Foxes!
Xoxo,
Anaiya Bobo