1 4 4 Game Room Over ALENA GILLESPIE

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Are you interested in joining newspaper?” Mrs. McCambridge asked a group of girls toward the end of Journalism class during my freshman year. Immediately, I was in.

Before joining the staff my sophomore year, I was already familyfriends with the Editor-in-Chief. Joining a publications staff seemed daunting, but she welcomed me and never failed to put a smile on my face. She showed me what a leader was.

As a staff writer my first year on staff, I often always needed a classmate to go to interviews with me. From this, I learned the importance of follow-up questions and confidence. My courage to talk to other people was limited, especially to upperclassmen. But, my passion for writing never diminished.

Growing up, I was the little girl who felt excited for creative writing assignments. I believe this excitement carried over into my journalistic writing since every person has a story to be told.

As I progressed my junior and senior years, I took on the editor roles. To me, being an editor requires organization, leadership and a positive attitude.

Often, being an editor also meant many hours of finishing tasks outside of class. During deadlines, you could find other editors and I working after school to try and shorten the everlong to-do list.

During this time of extra hours, I often received the same question from my non-journalism friends: Why do you stay on newspaper? The first time I was asked this question, I just shrugged my shoulders and avoided the question, but now I know the real reason. I stayed on staff because newspaper is something that I love and has shaped me into the person I am today and will continue to be.

Though I will not be majoring in journalism in college. I will always appreciate what journalism has offered me. It has taught me organization, leadership and confidence. Most importantly, it has brought me some of my closest friends.

As I leave Room 144, I want to say thank you. Thank you for the friends, endless snack supply, Oreo dessert parties and most importantly to Mrs. McCambridge, who supported me in and outside of the classroom.

Room 144, I will be back to reminisce soon.

WhenI was young, I never dreamed of being a journalist. Running around with a little pocket notebook, scribbling notes and rushing to meet deadlines was the farthest thing I imagined myself doing. I figured I’d be a pilot, or a tomb raider, maybe even an astronaut.

I certainly never thought about a future in the news industry. I liked to think of myself as a creative person, more interested in the impossible than anything down on planet earth. I was interested in books from a young age and imagined becoming a writer.

This combination of curiosity and a somewhat unjustified artistic ego made me apprehensive about joining the newspaper. After transferring here my junior year, then starting newspaper senior year, I felt a little out of my element. Admittedly, I was right. My first story for the Miegian was about the books students were reading around the school, seemingly right up my alley. But I quickly discovered that there was more to newspaper writing than just reporting what people have told you.

I found it difficult to get interesting quotes. Good questions aren’t enough. They certainly help, but there’s no substitute for an active interest in the topic. An apathetic reporter with great questions won’t get very far.

Junior year I took two classes with Mrs. McCambridge. During my first semester taking digital design, I was very quiet and kept to myself while working. Although I did not have anyone I knew in that class, it quickly became one of my favorites. After a few months of classes, Mrs. McCambridge started to ask me if I was interested in joining the yearbook or newspaper staff.

I was very timid towards the idea as I had many friends who were on one of the staffs and I had seen how stressed they seemed at times. With a lot of encouragement from both Mrs McCambridge and my good friend and now fellow staff member Emma Lazarczyk, I decided to join the newspaper staff. The idea of working really hard and getting the satisfaction of multiple issues was exciting. While my time on staff has been short, I am grateful for everything that the Miegian has given me. From the ceiling breaking through and pouring out water on Cash’s head to late night work nights, I have cherished every moment. Newspaper has pushed me out of my comfort zone and opened up my creative side. From designing to football game Instagram story updates with Emma, there was purpose and love behind every story told and that makes all the hard work worth it.

Sometimes, a wrench gets caught in the gears. During the first semester of my senior year, I came down with both COVID-19 and the flu. This put me on the sidelines for about three weeks of the year, including very two poorly timed weeks right before finals.

This made it harder to get back in the flow of things when I came back, and increased the stress of completing my articles when I felt I was somewhat out of practice.

Overall, I’m grateful for these experiences. As a fairly introverted person, writing for the newspaper forced me to talk to people I had never met before and showed me that good things can happen when you step out of your comfort zone.

This year also taught me many practical aspects of writing. Like the difference between a strong sentence and a weak sentence is sometimes as simple as changing a single word.

I didn’t consider myself a “good journalist” when I decided to join the staff and I’m reluctant to call myself that now, but at the very least I know that it all depends on the work that I put in.

Next year, I plan to attend journalism school at Mizzou, and I know that this year has prepared me. Not just for the work of a journalist, but more importantly it has prepared me for the risk of trying new things.

Freshman year me would have laughed in my face if I told her she would be on the newspaper staff by senior year (only because I hated writing). Now, although I am still not the best writer, I have gained a new passion and friendships through newspaper that I am forever grateful for, so thank you for an amazing and way too short of a ride. Room 144, you will be missed.

Luke Crawford

As I prepare to say goodbye to my designing career, I have been able to look back on how much it has impacted my life. I was given the opportunity to join the staff as a sophomore after I had taken journalism as a place filling elective my freshman year. Upon entering the staff, I didn’t even know what graphic design was, in fact I stared at what others were creating and thought there was no way that I would be interested in doing it or let alone be able to design anything at all. Lo and behold, after almost three years of working tireless hours, designing has become a significant part of my high school career.

When I began bringing home my designs either in the paper issues or from the website, my parents were instantly overjoyed that I had found a hobby that I loved outside of sports. They began displaying the issues to family members and friends who would stop by the house and were always talking about my new consuming passion and are always asking me when I’m cranking out something new.

I had no idea how much time

’ve always enjoyed writing. I’m not completely sure why, and I must admit that sometimes I begin to question my own judgment. Still, there is something thrilling about that intangible art. The process of creating free-flowing descriptions moves me like nothing else, and I knew there would come a time when my passion would formally manifest.

I discovered to a greater extent that I love review writing, especially that of music and other art. Whether it be an album or a song, I love bringing a human coherence to those magical sounds, shining a light on all the specifics we enjoy. Newspaper allowed me to pursue this as freely as possible. I was allowed to manifest my skill to the greatest extent while learning to love the facets of the art I once feared.

Miege newspaper gave me that opportunity. For many years, my penchant for writing was limited to the description of things I enjoy. Upon signing up for the newspaper, this fact concerned me a bit. I feared falling behind into a pool of disinterest. Mrs. McCambridge and the staff prevented this from happening. Instead, I blossomed into a better journalist with the perfect storm of freedom and assistance.

The Miegian has allowed me to gain a greater understanding for my joy of writing, while also teaching me the core skills of journalism. I’ve and effort I would have to sink in, and quite frankly if I had known I probably would not have done it, but I am grateful I did. Being on the staff has opened my eyes to limitless creativity, a strong work ethic and how teamwork can make a big difference. My peers and my family continuously ask me why I pour so much into it even though I am always overwhelmed and constantly starting new projects. My answer is always the same. I do not know what I would do without it.

I know putting out this issue and bringing my work to a close will be hard for me, but I am hopeful this is not the end. Even though I will not be continuing my journalism career at Oklahoma State University, I will still find a way to continue my work. The staff has made a lasting imprint on my heart, and I will take all the memories with me. From the draining, frazzled days leading up to the deadlines to the release day parties, I will never forget my time in Room 144. Thank you so much to everyone who has supported me throughout my journey and those who have shown me how powerful the love for Miege is.

As I head into college as a journalism major, it goes without saying that the Miegian has had an indelible impression on me. This opportunity has given me the chance to geek out over my hobbies, while also uncovering a more professional side of my skills that I intend to take advantage of throughout my future.

I must thank Mrs. McCambridge and the entire staff for making me feel comfortable and showing me the way of journalism. This class has illuminated a consistently true academic fact of life: If the opportunity comes, take it.

Coming to Miege, I always knew I wanted to be a part of the journalism program. What my freshman self didn’t know is how much the program would mean to me after four years.

I took journalism my freshman year and instantly loved it. Even though I was scared to walk the halls and knock on teachers, doors to ask to interview one of their students at first, Mrs. McCambridge and my classmates pushed me out of my comfort zone to be the best journalist I could be.

While I love newspaper, some of my favorite memories from Room 144 do not involve tasks such as going to do interviews or writing stories. From celebrating holidays to having classroom parties, this staff has given me countless memories with some of my best friends.

Many of my friends who are not a part of newspaper often questioned why I stayed even when I was stressing over a deadline or freaking out about a story that was nowhere close to

As my time on the Miegian staff comes to an end, I have reflected on my past two years on staff. I joined my junior year after taking photography and journalism. Going in, I was unsure of myself and always asked questions before I did something. But, after a few weeks, I gained confidence in my work and even helped others with their spreads.

My aunt suggested I go into journalism to document my travels. I like trying new things, so I decided to give it a shot. I quickly discovered that I knew close to nothing about journalism. I barely knew what an Oxford comma was, let alone learn to write a whole story. I didn’t think that by senior year I’d love taking pictures and being a news reporter, or even win awards for my work.

I recently rediscovered a story I wrote sophomore year. It was a self-feature about my love for Korean dramas. When I first wrote that story, I remember thinking it was the best story I had ever written. Looking back now, the quotes I gave were weak and the format of the story was all over the place. Despite all this, I still love the story because it serves as a reminder to me of how far I have being completed. To be completely honest, when I was questioned about my decision to stay and even be crazy enough to take two classes of it this year, I didn’t have an exact reason. I simply just could not imagine my life without it— stress and all. come as a journalist.

Every member of the staff has truly become one of my best friends. Especially to all of the seniors, thank you for putting in 100% effort and becoming part of the Room 144 family.

I want to thank Alena and MaryKathryn. You two have been a part of my journalism journey at every step and I am thankful that we were able to come together our senior year to help shape the program that shaped us. Thank you for going into any challenge with me and always being able to make me laugh and see the positive even when I was overwhelmed.

I will miss all the memories made as I leave Miege. Even with all the chaos, I loved everything about Room 144.

Working on staff has not only helped me branch out but was the main reason I found my roommate. I remember asking Alena Gillespie about the Saint Louis University (SLU) pamphlet she had since I had missed the meeting with the representative. Alena’s face immediately lit up and she asked me if I was going there. After I said it was my top choice, Alena said, “If we end up going, we could room together.” At that time we just looked at each other and laughed. Little did we know that what we thought was a funny “what if” would end up being reality a year later.

I know these next few weeks will be bittersweet as I tell my fellow staffers goodbye, but I know that Room 144 will always hold a special place in our hearts. There will never be an end to my journalism career, whether it be as a hobby or writing for SLU’s paper, the University News. There may have been stressful moments, but I have loved coming together with my staff and cranking out issues. While I may be moving away, I will always travel with a Miegian on me. Thank you to my staff members for showing me what community at Miege looks like.

As I sit and write this column, my mind tends to go blank. How can I talk about the most important years of my life so far in a 400-word count? How can I let others know just how much something meant to me in a simple sentence? But maybe it is easier than I think.

My story starts as an 11-year-old girl spending the summer with my grandma. She volunteered a lot and one day I decided to go with her, a moment that would change the trajectory of my life. The time I spent volunteering with the National Park Service taught me things about myself that I would never know otherwise.

I learned that I have a love for storytelling. I enjoy the process of deciding the best way to tell a story to be understood by most people. I discovered my determination. Some may call it pure stubbornness, but I believe that most of my determination is centered around my drive. I found that I’m somewhat of a perfectionist, much to my own dismay.

But most importantly, I found myself. There is still a lot I don’t know about myself, but what I do know is what I want to do with my life.

Joining the newspaper staff was on a whim. Looking back on it, I can’t really put a finger on why. That being said, I have yet to regret that choice. For the past year as part of the Miegian, I have found myself falling down rabbit holes and going on quirky adventures. It seems that no matter the story, no matter what it is I am talking about, I always found myself spiraling down into some hidden conspiracy or obscure article.

It was sometime last October, I had just written an article about the second marriage of Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez, and was looking around for what could be my next obsession that I would write about. I was hoping that this next topic would be simple as my last article took far too long to research and write. Next thing I know, it was December, and I was sitting in a cold movie theater watching the movie “Avatar the Way of Water” for the second time within two days.

I had tasked myself into looking into Avatar and why people like this stupid movie franchise that I personally felt was both a boring and bloated mess, and for some reason I had spent three long months going headfirst into what is perhaps one of the most confusing fandoms that I have ever had the displeasure of meeting. I had interviewed every single high-ranking member of the largest Avatar fan club in the world and even made an appearance at the largest online Avatar fan convention ever hosted.

It’s taken me a long time to come to terms with the fact that knowing yourself isn’t an “Aha!” moment but a slow-process like the one of making a true friend.

I’d like to thank newspaper for guiding me until now. With the knowledge I gained from volunteering, I came into my freshman year journalism class with bright eyes and big dreams (some of which were slightly shattered by the COVID-19 outbreak). I had no idea what I was doing if I am being honest. All I knew was that it was where I wanted to be for the next three years.

I’ve had so many opportunities during my time in newspaper to pursue my love of narratives and gain friends I might never have gotten otherwise. I was pushed outside of my comfort zone, as cliche as it sounds, and learned valuable lessons from it. I will always remember the people I’ve written about, and the people behind the scenes that helped me do it and have fun along the way. I’m thankful for every single thing that has led me here.

And I am so thankful for each story I’ve told.

I shuffled through online forums, reading every article that even mentioned blue people. I purchased Avatar merchandise, I have now gone to an Avatar theme park, I have seen both movies nearly a dozen times, and despite that, despite all of that, I ultimately didn’t even find out why people like Avatar. This story never did become a story, though I did review “The Way of Water” when it came out.

That being said, I loved every second of this adventure. The Miegian has given me the opportunity to put my niche talent to use. Sure, not every concept comes to light, and not every story ended up the way I would have liked, but I would still do it all over again. Thank you all for humoring me and my endeavors, and thank you, Mrs. McCambridge and the rest of the staff, for helping turn my abstract ideas into reality. (P.S. If any of you know why people like Avatar, I would still be more than grateful to hear why.)