Now is the time for me to put down my pen and paper, look up from my desk and embrace the world. After almost four years of working at The Lasso and one year as your Editor-in- Chief, I am about to embark on a new journey—that disgusting thing we call “adulthood.”
While I’m thrilled to be graduating this May, I am going to miss The Lasso dearly. I will still be around here and there (don’t miss out on my monthly Veggie Tales column!), but not as prominently as I have been before. It is time for the next generation of students to take the reins and get the leadership experience they need and want to help prepare them for a career after college.
I am so proud of my staff this past spring and fall. We went through quite a few changes as we tried to adjust to a smaller budget and the changing times. Regardless of the situation, the staff has been positive, flexible and willing to pitch in. The people of The Lasso are a special breed. The type of people you can count on and lean on when things get tough. We are passionate and though we are not perfect, we make plenty of mistakes as we learn, we have the resilience to overcome any obstacle.
Just a brief recap, we are no longer print-only, but a hybrid system where we print three out of four weeks and the one week out we are 100 percent online. So far that has been really successful for us, since we do not have the staff to transition completely to the web online. We don’t know what the future will hold for our student newspaper, but I know that when the time comes we’ll do what we can to adapt.
Since this is my farewell column, I realize I should probably talk about what I’ve learned. You won’t be surprised, but us humans have a hard time grasping the things we know we should do, but don’t want to do—If you know what I mean.
First, it is okay to say no. I especially direct this to the ladies. In any situation where you may feel uncomfortable or unsure—saying no is okay and you don’t have to feel guilty about it either. You are in control of you. Second, it may seem selfish to want to do something for yourself or just take some quiet time, but it’s necessary to survive with your sanity. Do not sacrifice “me” time, trust me, I have nearly fallen off the deep end during finals because SO MUCH was going on and I didn’t take a break. Third, stop caring about what other people think. You will feel so much better if you just do what you want to do without worrying about what Sally is doing or what you’re parents want you to do/be. Coming from someone who has compromised herself over and over again, you will feel a sense of relief if you just do you.
Lastly, find a reason to care about your fellow human beings or at least relate to them. If you lose your capacity to draw upon compassion, you have lost all chances for happiness. My philosophy is that people come first. If someone needs me and I’m working on this major project for a class, I will drop the project and be available to support my friend. Souls are more valuable than a grade. Big picture thinking will get you farther and out of the dark when you are freaking out about something going on in the present—it is only temporary.
And with that, I bid my beloved audience an adieu. I hope to see you again when the stars so align.
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