I knew the day would eventually come when I would decide to sit down and hammer out my last column. But until this fine institution gives me my diploma and kicks me offstage, it will never really be over. I have reserved the option to come back a year from now and continue writing, but at this point, I would rather gracefully make my exit knowing that I caused some opinions to change. I would like to think that, in some way, I positively affected someone else than leave on a bad note.
The truth is that I love writing and I will never be able to escape it. The Technician gave me an outlet for that, and for that, I am grateful. If you are destined to write in some capacity one day, take advantage of the fact that we have a premier newspaper at our University. Before you graduate, you too can leave your mark and help contribute to making this newspaper more credible every year.
When I started as a columnist in August, I had much to say about a variety of subjects, some of which caused a few ill feelings and others which gave me only the nicest compliments. I’ve given dating tips to guys, detailed how you can find your place at NCSU, written how we should not take anyone for granted, declared my love for Student Media, outlined what I would do as president, made note that Valentine’s Day is just another holiday, spoke out about eating trends and obesity and most recently did a “Coming back to God” column, among others.
College is like no other time in your life, and it should be enjoyed as such. Put much emphasis on your education, but remember that your grades are not all that matters. If you submerse yourself into activities related to your studies, you will find that experience to be more important to your resume than your grades when it comes time to finding a job. This is not to say that you should finish with a C- in every course, but take everything that you do into consideration and prioritize.
Looking back over previous columns of mine, I hope that I did not deeply offend anyone. If I did, it was not my intention. If you still find yourself at odds with something I wrote, I suggest that you go back, re-read the text in question and ask yourself whether I truly did not have a valid point in there. I retract nothing I’ve ever written and sincerely believe that I brought up legitimate points, observations and concerns, and attempted to encourage and/or inspire others. For that, I could never regret writing any column.
I will still be here and not gone completely from Student Media. I plan to continue to be an active DJ as I have been since the second semester of my freshman year. I am currently on WKNC every Friday morning as many of you are waking up for class, but next school year my time slot will certainly change. Anyone interested in supporting another branch of Student Media should listen to our radio station. We were voted “Best in the Triangle” for a reason!
Finally, I would like to extend my thanks to my editors for their input, Jeff Gaither, a former columnist who inspired me to write for the Technician and to everyone who ever wrote a letter in to support me or provoke thoughtful discussion. It has all been much appreciated, and if you see me on campus, please be sure to say hello, because after all, it really isn’t goodbye.
E-mail Rebecca at [email protected]
