RILEY STRAW
Lampoon Editor
When I was a freshman, many of my friends were seniors. When Christina Stock, the Editor in Chief of The Leader for Fall ‘12–Spring ‘13, asked me to start contributing, I was nervous. I remember sitting at my first content meeting, at the beginning of that Spring semester, entirely overwhelmed by the closest thing I had yet seen to the shining ideal of professionalism.
While my journalism writing was mediocre at best, it was because of Christina that I discovered copy editing. By the end of that semester, I was voted in as the copy editor for the next year. Little did I know that I would be the copy editor for the following year as well and, in my senior year, the Lampoon editor.
The Leader has formed my college experience in innumerable ways. I was absolutely terrified of everything when I first arrived at college, and — because of The Leader —I have a firmly established home base. I’ve learned how to work with others, how to ease personal conflicts, and how to find a way to laugh when I don’t even feel like smiling.
I’ve seen and worked with four different Editors in Chief and five managing editors. I’ve been to New Orleans, helped to organize the Queer Issue, and have met dozens of creative and hard-working characters throughout my endeavors with The Leader.
As I’ve started my sixth semester on The Leader, I’ve realized a couple of things:
- Things change. Often. And though it’s nice to spend time thinking about the way things once were, it’s so much easier and worthwhile to create moments in the present. The Leader has equipped me with an ability to adapt to change, and even promote it, in a way that I never thought possible.
- I’m old. And I’m only 21! It’s always difficult to be the person who sticks around after everyone has already gone. As the student who has been a member of the staff for the longest, I’ve had to say many difficult goodbyes — but because of them, I’ve gotten the opportunity to say many more hellos.
- Life’s alright. It can be a little unpredictable, and it certainly has its challenges, but the experience of experiencing is worth it. Responsibility is actual, and it’s not a bad thing or something to be afraid of – anxiety works the same way. I realized all it took for me to be happy was to allow myself to have the confidence that I could be happy.
I know I sound pretentious and probably more than a little silly, but being on The Leader has formed me into the type of person I’ve wanted to be. I’ve made friends, strengthened relationships and started to understand my role at Fredonia a little more.
Knowing that my time at Fredonia will inevitably come to an end, it’s easy to get sad. But this little publication, more than anything else, has prepared me to keep moving.
[metaslider id=3199]