My time at UT Martin feels comparable to a lightning strike: momentary and tumultuous. Now as I begin to close the door on this era of my life, I can truly say being a member of The Pacer was a highlight. I was faced with the difficult situation of being dissatisfied with my major concentration in my senior year of college, and had no idea what options were available to me or what this would mean for my graduation date. It was suggested to me by my then advisor that I should consider switching my concentration to News Editorial, as that fell more in line with things I’m passionate about, such as writing and taking pictures.
This is what led me to The Pacer. Seldom have I had the opportunity to pursue both writing and photography in school, but joining The Pacer staff allowed me to do just that. While my time with The Pacer has been brief, I’m grateful for the experience and all that Mrs. Tomi’s done to help me. I likely would not be graduating if not for her help, so thank you for jumping through all those hoops, Mrs. Tomi! I hope your legs recover soon (mine still haven’t). This has all definitely been a highlight of my college experience, and my only regret is that I was not able to be involved longer.
I would definitely recommend anyone who is considering joining The Pacer staff to absolutely get involved. Whether you love to write, take pictures, design graphics, talk about movies and music, or what have you; I believe there is something for everyone here. So although lightning strikes are usually thought of as destructive and disorderly, they’re also bright, and illuminate everything around them, albeit for a short while. I’d like to think that’s what college has been to me, and my time at The Pacer helps to reinforce that. I’ve learned so much and gained a lot of experience in a short while that I believe will be beneficial down the line.
I’m not the best at goodbyes, so I’ll just quote my favorite songwriter Bob Dylan here: “Goodbye’s too good a word, so I’ll just say fare-thee-well.”
