Weekends Away from Witt

     This year will be the first since I came to Witt where I will be away on weekends more often than I will be on campus for them. I didn't plan it that way; there's no hidden agenda for me to get away from my friends. It just so happens that a lot of stuff has come up this semester.
     For one, I'm going to Canada for a weekend to see plays at the Stratford Festival. I've wanted to go on this trip since I was a freshman, but never got around to signing up in time. As a senior, I've seeing my life in lasts: last chances, last undergraduate moments, last opportunities, last memories of Witt. I want to be able to graduate and say that I got the most out of my education and my time at Wittenberg. If that means spending a weekend in Canada and shirking a few classes, so be it.
     I'm also seeing my parents more this semester than usually. My Mom is coming up in September for a Crafts Fair in Columbus and some good 'ole mother daughter bonding. She already told me that she wants to go to North Market for food and Jeni's and who am I to turn down ice cream and seeing my mom for a weekend staying in and doing homework?
     The next weekend both of my parents will be up for Family Weekend (their first), but since a lot of the events are geared towards younger siblings, we probably won't be spending all weekend on campus. While some people may not get along with their parents or want to see them all the time (that's why some people go to college far away from home, right?), after graduation I want to move to the Pacific Northwest (either Seattle or Vancouver), so I'll take any family bonding I can get before then.
     Initially, that was about all I planned for, but since starting classes other great opportunities have presented themselves and who am I to turn down an adventure? One of the clubs I'm in wants to go camping, our new choir director planned a retreat for us, and while no real plans have been made yet, I'm quietly hoping The Torch goes to the annual ACP conference.
     While some people might be bummed about not being on campus as much, I'm so excited for all the fun plans I have for this semester. As new opportunities for adventure present themselves, who am I to say no?

Musings on Senior Year

     Starting senior year I thought I would be more anxious and nervous. I mean, in a year I will hopefully have a great new job and will be exploring a new city. Maybe the nerves will kick in later, but for now, I'm excited. My classes are fun, but already a bit challenging, and I can't wait for The Torch to pick up again. 

     My freshman year I had no intentions of ever writing for a newspaper. I wandered over to The Torch's booth to talk to my RA, Maggie McKune, then the editor-in-chief. Despite her leadership position on the paper, she was very quiet and there weren't many people coming by to sign up. People would look, then walk away. I decided to take matters into my own hands and call people over. Later she told me that I had to come to a meeting and of course, I agreed.

     Three years and many hours of work later, The Torch has given me some of the best experiences of my college years. I've seen Seattle and Chicago for conferences and I've grown as a writer, a photographer, an editor, and a person. It sounds cheesy, and maybe it is, but the hours spent in our Torch office has become some of my favorite memories.

     As a senior I hope to take full advantage of my last semesters at Witt. I want to learn more, see more, experience more, and grow more, both with my personal life and my "Torch life." Although I joined as a photographer who sometimes wrote stories, I've now found a balance of the two that I really enjoy. Keeping that balance and developing both skills would be my goal this semester. With lots of practice, constructive criticism, and new ideas, I hope that Advanced News Writing will help me grow as a writer and as a journalist.