After countless articles, staff meetings and memories, it is time for me to say goodbye to The Slate.

For weeks I have done everything possible to come to terms with the fact that I will soon have to walk out of The Slate office and never walk back in as a student. 

But as I prepare to move on to the next chapter, I can’t help but feel caught up in bittersweet nostalgia for all I’m leaving behind.

I joined The Slate my freshman year as a staff writer for the news section. When I came to college I was affected by deep-rooted insecurities, as well as a fear of not being good at what I loved most in the world — writing.

It wasn’t until the end of my first year at Shippensburg that I applied for and was hired as an assistant news editor. In the beginning I sat in the back of the office and spoke only when spoken to, and silently wondered if I could ever possibly be as successful as some of my fellow staff members.

The person I was then is the complete opposite of who I am today, and I have The Slate staff to thank for that. The people I have met over the last four years have pushed me to better myself in ways I didn’t think possible — not just as a writer, but in all aspects of life. 

It was at The Slate that I found myself and met some of my very best friends, with whom I’ve shared more laughs than I could ever hope to fit in this letter.

These relationships are one of the reasons why Slaters of both past and present sacrifice social time and schoolwork to spend unpaid hours making a paper. 

It’s why our news section wasn’t afraid to ask the tough questions this year when it came to the closing of Kriner Hall, issues surrounding the Pride Center and more. It’s also the reason why having to leave is so difficult.

I am confident that The Slate staff will continue to produce high-quality work because of its unmatched determination to serve the community. Even as society and campus life changes, these qualities will always help The Slate to succeed

Although I may shed some tears as I walk out the door for the last time, I know I can look back and smile at having been a part of something so special. 

I hope all of you find something that makes your college career as meaningful as The Slate has made mine.

Share