It wasn’t supposed to end this way— my Graphic career I mean. I had always imagined that my last hurrah at the paper would be much more of a glorified act of insurgency. I had intended to spend my senior year in the newsroom strategically slipping into oblivion until the last issue of my college life in which I would publish some final outrageous diatribe on the administration or an equally unsuspecting body just because I could.
It’s certainly not for lack of trying that I ended up here in the editor in chief’s office instead; after a stint as Perspectives editor last fall I promised myself and the rest of the staff— rather bellicosely— that I would never under any circumstance take on another Graphic position. Then in a moment of what must have been blackout insanity the train of karmic irony came chugging ‘round the bend.
There’s something sickeningly appropriate though about devoting the last semester of my undergraduate education to the thing that both cultivated my college experience and severely handicapped any chance I had to survive socially or academically.
Even as I write this the clock approaches 6 a.m. page layouts remain to be proofed and I haven’t seen a pillow in more than 48 hours. But these all-nighters— these indeterminate days counted only by Red Bull consumption and tallies marking how many times I’m caught using the men’s restroom (in the middle of the night the trek across the CCB to the women’s just seems so far)— have done for me what no other undertaking has.
Oh Graphic what a bittersweet dysfunctional relationship you and I have developed. I guess it’s not surprising— we go way back after all. Why it’s been almost four years now since I overzealously packaged close to 100 newspapers to send to my family and friends back home so that they too could bask in the journalistic excellence demonstrated by Lindsey Boerma’s first published article— a Q&A with the Disney child star himself Clayton Snyder.
And my how far we’ve come. During my seven-semester tenure working on the Graphic I’ve managed to butt heads with the Student Programming Board over a rave review (sarcasm ensues) of its 2006 Midnight Madness event become public enemy No. 1 of the entire Greek community and even face off in a few pen-is-mightier-than-the-sword battles with my fellow Graphic staffers.
But at the end of the day these people are my peers my friends. These heated controversies (and OK some actual level-headed arguments) are my college career. In addition to providing me with experience and a sense of community the Graphic has equipped me with the endurance thick skin and industry skills necessary to take on the real world— just in time too since my first appointment with reality is scheduled for May 1.
So Graphic it seems we’ve come to the end of our time together. And I promise— it’s not you; it’s me. I’m off to grace the world with all you’ve taught me sharing the brilliant effervescence ever flowing from my reporter pen.
And one more thing— to you the Pepperdine community: I’m certain this last word won’t turn out half as eloquent as I would like for a farewell column but it’s because I’ve poured myself into this thing this publication that will have a far longer-lasting impact than any 600-word narcissistic tangent. And in response you have poured yourselves back for better or for worse through criticisms gratitude and simply reading every week. You’ve lived up to your end up the bargain and for that I thank you; I can only hope you feel I’ve done the same.
Pepperdine… it’s been an honor.