Hi! I’m one of the writers for The Pacer, pursuing my Bachelor of Art in Music and one of the many graduating seniors. I didn’t think that I’d be writing articles in the newspaper at all before my last year of college, actually! I like to try new things and be spontaneous, so when my best friend and roommate Payton started talking and gushing about The Pacer while I was in my junior year of music school, I admit that I was intrigued. It sounded like a good opportunity and I was nearing the end of college opportunities, so I went ahead and joined right away.
I’ve found a lot of fun writing articles in the presence of a nice community like this. I even went to SEJC (Southeastern Journalism Conference) to hang out and learn even more about what it meant to be a journalist and get to know the staff better. It was such a fun and unique experience! It was quite a thrill to get a story done in practically two hours and nearly miss the deadline at midnight for the competition submissions, but it was fun!
Before The Pacer, I was taking a lot of art classes and got to learn how art classes went because I’ve actually never taken one officially before college (besides in elementary school; I was a band kid since middle school) and I knew I had some creativity and artistic prowess. I spent Covid learning a few things about traditional art and knitting, so it was nice to learn the same things but more in-depth and in an organized, thorough way. From drawing to using color, to eventually ceramics, I learned valuable artistic knowledge like contrast, hue, saturation and light.
It wasn’t until I took a beginner’s level class in ceramics that I finally felt that I found my niche. Tucked away in the Fine Arts Building, I found comfort in playing with clay and learning how to throw on the wheel. The process to make ceramics is quite long and intensive but once I saw the results of what I could make, I was hooked.
My goal for this year was to explore and experiment with ceramic musical instruments. Being in the art and music sides, I wanted a way to bridge the gap between them. So, for my senior project, I wrote a 17-page scholarly paper on the topic of the history and uses of an array of clay instruments as well as a public presentation showcasing my created instruments and what I learned. It was a good thing that I liked writing! It was interesting to read about processes that are slowly being lost to time, and I’m grateful that I could learn about it.
I’ve also learned a lot about music of course, as it’s my main degree. The staff in the music department are some of the best. It felt like I was seen and heard, and I am thankful to have learned so much from them. I feel like in most colleges it might be hard to reach out and get personal help from professors but it was very accessible here.
I’ll really miss playing in the bands regularly because I’ve been in multiple bands every year I’ve been here, but I’m excited for change. It’s been such a privilege to play and make music with such talented and hard-working people and musicians, and I’m not sure if I’d be able to find an opportunity like it once I graduate, so I’m savoring the last moments I get to play with everyone.
I’m going to really miss this place, but I’m thankful for all that I’ve learned and the opportunities I’ve found or been given. I thank everyone that’s been kind to me these past few years, and I’m so excited to see what the future holds for me.
