I’ve never been good at endings. Sometimes when I was little, I would skip the last few pages of a book and pretend that it never ended. Pretend that the princess did, in fact, always live happily ever after and that nothing bad, sad or worrisome happened. When it came time for my grandma, or aunt, or anyone who was visiting my house to go back home, I couldn’t just give them a hug goodbye. Waving from the front door as their cars pulled away wasn’t enough either. No, I would run down the block until they reached a main road, flailing my arms, shouting goodbye as many times as I could. I even cried when I turned ten because I realized that I would never be a single-digit age again. In short, I never liked goodbyes.
To me, goodbyes were sad. It meant that something good was ending, or someone was leaving. Of course, The Misc isn’t ending. The Misc has been here long before me, and will surely continue to thrive long after I have gone. Instead, I am leaving. I am the one who has to leave and say my goodbyes. It is only fitting that my goodbye is in the format of a lengthy, verbose article. So, for the last time as an active member of The Misc, here goes:
At The Miscellany News, I found my voice as a writer, dove into various facets of journalism and met wonderful future journalists. Throughout the past four years, I’ve been able to explore numerous sections of The Misc. I’ve written for News, Opinions, Humor and even made a few crosswords. I was a copy staffer and guest reporter, a member of the Editorial Board, and a member of the Executive Board for four consecutive semesters. But really, I am most grateful for my role as a Features writer. This is where I found my voice.
In Features, I was pushed to be creative and think outside of the box. I wrote about campus culture, the fascinating people around me and even about myself. What other newspaper would let me write about the day that dozens of geese took up residence on our beloved quad or about my unrequited love for ice cream?
Features challenged me. When I first asked what exactly Features was, I got a variety of answers ranging from, “I’m not really sure…You can write about anything? Nothing? Maybe everything?” to “It’s nebulous…ask Janet.” These inquiries brought me to the conclusion that this is the section that could be whatever I wanted. I took these descriptions to heart and truly wrote about anything and everything that was on mind. Sometimes my articles verged on News, and others veered into Humor territory. Features was exactly what I needed: spontaneous, ever-changing and exciting. As someone who typically thrives with clear directions, guidelines and a five-page rubric, this section pushed me to be more creative, take risks and have fun with writing. Half of the time, as Wednesday Ed Boards rolled around, I had no idea what I was going to write for that coming week. But, inspiration always struck. And if it didn’t right away, all I had to do was go outside.
Vassar’s campus has been an endless source of inspiration. While some days I was tempted to walk to the Deece with my head down, hoodie up and AirPods in, being a part of The Misc forced me to break from that bubble. It pushed me to engage with my surroundings, be curious, ask questions and explore. On one of my many walks to the Deece, I saw a mini pink lamborghini zoom by: Inspiration. While sitting at a Deece booth, I overheard a group of girls complain about the lack of pockets in their shorts: Inspiration. As I sat on the quad doing homework one sunny afternoon, I saw a cat on a leash: Inspiration. What some may brush off, ignore, or perhaps not even see because they’re trapped in their own, personal bubble, I had opened my eyes to all the corners of Vassar’s campus. Writing for Features allowed me to engage with Vassar in a way that fostered an even deeper connection and appreciation for our campus, its people and even its geese.
Beyond finding my voice, The Misc allowed me to explore journalism at my own pace. At The Misc, I’ve been a writer and an editor, helped amend bylaws and conduct interviews, all while balancing highs (preparing interview questions for Meryl Streep) with lows (addressing serious issues, such as plagiarism). I spent long nights researching my latest article, copy editing a section and or laying out Features. I spent time creating and publishing the weekly e-newsletter. I’ve helped distribute hundreds of copies of The Misc, recruit new writers and edit more articles than I can count. I’ve seen The Misc at every angle and in every season. It truly is an incredible paper filled with inspired writers, hardworking editors and passionate staff members.
It would be impossible to devote as much time to The Misc as I did without genuinely enjoying the people I was surrounded by. Paper Critiques, Production Nights, Editorial Boards and Journalism Dinners would be dull without the vibrant editors, writers and staff members that came through The Misc during my four years here. Before I was inspired by Vassar’s campus to write about the newest org or event, I was inspired by the members of The Misc. Their unwavering support, commitment to ethics and passion for writing inspired me to be a better journalist.
Even before Matriculation, I knew that The Misc was home to very special people. Before I committed to Vassar, I reached out to current members to ask about The Misc and how I could get involved. I’ve always loved writing, and while I had no idea where I wanted to go to college or what I wanted to study, I knew that I wanted to keep writing. I knew I wanted to be at a school where the newspaper was a voice for the students. I knew I wanted to be a part of that newspaper, writing stories every week, interviewing students, and sharpening my journalistic skills. I knew that this newspaper was going to be a huge part of my life. I put this unknown newspaper up on a pedestal before I even knew what it was. And yet, The Misc delivered.
The Misc not only gave me the opportunity to write, edit and write some more, but the opportunity to meet new people who shared the same passion for writing as I do. Here, I’ve had mentors who have walked me through the editing process, uploading order and InDesign tricks. I’ve had mentors who were simply a listening ear, always happy to let me vent about a frustrating experience with layout or an issue with an article. Eventually, I became a mentor. I met with first-time writers to choose their first article, trained future editors and watched The Misc continue to grow, expand and thrive. I realized that as I left each role, jumping into the next, I hadn’t even bothered to say goodbye. Instead, I took a leap of faith into the next role, and then the next, and the next. Each role was even better than the last. Each role stretched, tested and challenged me in new ways. Each role pushed me to be a better writer and editor. It wasn’t sad to move on, it was exciting. It meant that my world was opening up. There were new opportunities to seize, people to meet and articles to write. I’m glad that I didn’t stay stuck in one role forever. Instead, I was able to leap from copy staff and guest reporter to Features Editor and eventually Managing Editor (with a few more leaps in between, of course).
So, I guess this kind of turned into a goodbye, huh? Well, that’s okay. I’ve come to terms with it. I’ve come to terms with the fact that goodbyes aren’t worth crying over. Goodbyes are a way to close one chapter and open another. Without goodbyes, there wouldn’t be room to explore new places, meet new people and grow as a person.
What I didn’t realize as a little girl was that with every ending, comes a new beginning.
Every closed book simply means that a new book can begin. (Btw, when I eventually discovered that books can turn into trilogies and series, my world was rocked).
Beyond how to conduct an interview and where to place a hyphen, The Misc taught me that each sunset promises a sunrise. Sure, they may be a little different, but isn’t that exciting? Tomorrow brings hope, excitement and intrigue. I don’t know exactly what tomorrow will bring, but if my time at The Misc has culminated in a sunset, a place where I found my voice, deepened my passion for journalism and met lifelong friends, I can only imagine what beautiful sunrise awaits.
