NIKKI INDELICATO
Life & Arts Editor
Wow…four years really do fly by.
It’s crazy to think that in just a few short weeks I will be walking across the stage to finally get that diploma that came with many laughs, tears and memories that will stick with me for the rest of my life.
To say my college experience was “normal” would be a complete understatement.
Truth be told, I was only able to have one “normal” year of college as a freshman before our world got turned upside down in the latter half of my sophomore year in 2020.
I started out as a freshman who was constantly surrounded by theatre for most of my life and was craving to find an outlet on campus where I would be able to perform with a bunch of students who had a similar passion for music as me.
I auditioned for Noteworthy Show Choir and found a family who would stick by my side for the next four years. I met some of my best friends in the group and made some of the best memories getting to know, perform and grow with every single one of them.
Many members of Noteworthy came and went, as students moved on to other groups, held new priorities and graduated.
COVID-19 took a toll on the group during my entire junior year because we had to stick to strictly online shows, and it didn’t allow the group to come together to work on creating music and dances as a team.
I have a feeling that the pandemic and other factors ultimately led to the group down in size.
Luckily, we were able to gain a fair amount of new members in the group last semester, and we worked really hard to try and have everything be in person again. But, some factors played against us that led us to have to perform online.
By the start of this semester, I was the only remaining member of the group from the time that I first joined the club. While working with my respective e-board members, we were able to get the group’s numbers up once again and successfully performed our first Showcase to an in-person audience since COVID-19 first hit. It was one of those moments that I will always look back on and think, “Wow, we actually did that!”
The new members that have joined Noteworthy over the past school year will always hold a special place in my heart because without them, this group would not exist. I have been able to grow close with many of the new members, and I have found close friendships that I know I will have for life.
One of the other clubs on campus that really helped me find my voice was The Leader. When I first started learning about the world of journalism, I was very daunted at the idea of interviewing and writing stories on a deadline.
I learned that it was one of those cases where once you do it, it’s actually not as scary as one might think.
It still took me a little while to finally grow the courage to submit my stories to The Leader, but once I finally did gain the courage (and with the faculty advisor, Elmer Ploetz, constantly pushing me), I submitted my first story in Spring 2020.
From that point on, I worked hard to try and find stories that I had an interest in, and I wrote even more stories for The Leader. I started to find my passion in storytelling and loved getting to see my work published both online and in print for many people to read.
At the time I became a staff writer, Alyssa Bump, the current Editor in Chief, was the Life & Arts Editor, and she would always be just a text away if I needed help or had any questions.
By mid Fall 2021, I moved up to Assistant Life & Arts Editor and learned the ropes of what is needed to be successful as an editor. This position also allowed me to learn how to start reading over the writers’ papers and edit them. It was a lot of fun because I felt like this was giving me the opportunity to use many skills that I had been learning over the years in all my classes.
This semester, I finally moved up to Life & Arts Editor and have enjoyed every moment of being able to help those who may not have written stories before. It has also allowed me to keep practicing my skills of both writing and editing.
I found confidence in my writing by contributing stories that were in my wheelhouse of focusing on entertainment reviews and such, but I also tried my hand at writing stories that were a little more outside my comfort zone.
In February, I was able to cover a Black History Month story and at the beginning of March, I wrote my first news article on the newly lifted mask mandate.
Both of these stories were learning experiences, but I look back on the work that I put into them and was really proud of how both of these stories came out.
The Leader also allowed me to showcase my passion for photography along with writing stories. At the end of February, Fredonia’s Performing Arts Company (PAC) put on a show titled “The Dolls of New Albion,” and I was lucky enough to be able to take pictures to be covered in the upcoming print issue.
When that issue was printed, my photos were chosen to be on the front and back cover as well as having a photo gallery in the middle. I was so proud of how that issue came out and felt so honored that I was able to have that opportunity to share my love of photography for this club as well.
It’s crazy to think that this is one of the last stories that I will be writing for a paper that helped me grow as both a person and a journalist. I truly have found my passion for journalism and telling stories with the help of The Leader and everyone who was involved.
I want to give a big thanks to journalism professor and The Leader’s adviser, Elmer Ploetz, for pushing me and constantly nagging me to write for The Leader. He has been a shoulder for me to lean on and is always willing to help whenever I would need it.
I can safely say that I don’t think his voice will be leaving my head anytime soon. Any time that there is something I don’t know if I really wanna do … his voice will constantly tell me, “Just do it. Write for The Leader.”
I’m looking forward to what lies next for my writing career and where this journey will take me. If it wasn’t for everyone I have met during my time here in Fredonia, I don’t think I would be where I am today.
Thank you Fredonia for all the laughs, tears, friends and memories that I will have with me throughout the rest of my life. It’s been one wild ride!