Over the last four years I have come to both love, and hate, Martin. However, in a few short days I will bid farewell to UTM and venture off into the land that all of our professors have referred to as ‘the real world.’
I never really wanted to come to UTM. I wanted to go to MTSU, but lack of motivation to do anything academically related in high school kept me from doing so. With that being said, I look back at my time here, and I truly believe that it turned out for the best.
When I first got here, I signed up to be a marketing major. Before college, I made and sold my own custom fishing lures, and I thought I wanted to do that for the rest of my life. Two weeks into my economics class I realized that I am way too honest to be a businessman, and I hate math. Let’s be honest though, most communications majors hate math … a lot.
After experimenting with education and English, I found my way into the Communications Department, a place that I finally felt like I could call home.
This department has done things for me that I could never imagine. I could write a book about the things they have done for me, but seeing as how I’m limited to one page it’s best if I keep it brief. Thank you all for everything.
One of the things that has made coming to UTM worth it has been working for The Pacer.
In the fall of 2013, I found my way into a Pacer meeting led by future Executive Editor, Alex Jacobi. I ended up taking my first story, “The Big Top Comes To Martin.”
For writers, there are not many things better than seeing your name on a byline for the first time and for me, I knew that I had found my calling.
After doing several stories I had no real interest in doing, I found my way into sports.
The Sports Editor at the time, Kristen Harrelson, gave me the opportunity to cover the UTM’s women’s basketball team.
That year, I followed them all the way to the NCAA Women’s Tournament. This season, I was able to do the same thing as they traveled to Chapel Hill, N.C. to take on the Tar Heels. While the two-point loss was bitter, knowing I was able to cover such a talented team for two seasons was a privilege that I am very glad I had.
I got into The Pacer because I wanted to cover football. Who knew that I would find my way as a women’s basketball beat writer?
Along with writing for sports, Jenifer Nicks, last year’s Viewpoints Editor, gave me the chance to voice my opinion in her section.
As a writer and performer, the one thing I always asked for was an audience. Someone to listen to my music, watch me perform or read my writing.
Jenifer let me freely voice my opinion on things, and that is something I will always be thankful for.
Coming into the 2013-14 school year, the newly formed Editorial Board of The Pacer knew we had a lot of work to do, and we have done more than we ever thought we would.
This year has been the definition of crazy at The Pacer. From covering the Holly Bobo case to the ATO Chapter on campus being shut down to someone being hit with a snow shovel and even our newspapers getting stolen, shout out to Total Frat Move.
We have all worked extremely hard this year, and we have gathered the individual and group awards to show for our efforts.
I can’t say enough about the group of people I have worked with this year. We have dealt with plenty of problems this year, but we have worked to put out the best publications we can.
I could leave you with a list of people who have helped me along the way, but I’ll spare you most of the boring details and keep these short.
There are two sides to being a journalist, being one and being a good one, and I want to thank Ms. Tomi for teaching me how to be a good one.
I also want to thank everyone down at The Stables for helping me out on those days that were tougher than others.
To Dr. Melvin Hill, you were the first professor at UTM who went out of your way to help guide me through this mess called college and more recently, this mess known as graduate school applications. While I won’t be attending your Alma matter, I wouldn’t be going anywhere without your help.
Dr. Trisha Capanksy, from everything to Technical Communications to co-advising the re-launched Society of Professional Journalists, you have been a huge help to me this year. Along with Dr. Hill and Tomi, you helped successfully guide me into a graduate school program that is perfect for me and have helped me grow as a person and a leader.
To MaryLynn Williams, Kara Kidwell, Justin Glover and Jared Peckenpaugh: covering sports wouldn’t have been the same this year without all you. All four of you have bright futures ahead of you and are all much more talented than you realize.
I can’t talk about sports without talking about the first person I sat down with after being named Sports Editor, Joe Lofaro. Joe, I wouldn’t be where I am now without the help you gave me. Whether it was something I was doing well, or somewhere I was screwing up, you made it a point to tell me, and I truly appreciate that.
Also, Josh Lemons for taking the time at a baseball game to explain to me that even if I had no idea what I was doing that it was okay, as long as I was willing to work until I figured it out.
I thought about mentioning all of The Pacer folks here, but for the sake of space, I won’t.
With that being said, I want to thank you all for your hard work. I’ve happily served as a staff writer, sports editor and managing editor over the last two years, and I have no regrets about any of it.
I want to end with this bit of advice from my favorite writer, Hunter S. Thompson via Paul Kemp from The Rum Diary: “I want to make a promise to you, the reader. And I don’t know if I can fulfill it tomorrow, or even the day after that. But I put the b——- of this world on notice that I do not have their best interests at heart. I will try and speak for my reader, that is my promise, and it will be a voice of ink and rage.”
