So this is weird. In true Chronicle fashion, I’m saving this for the last second. Let’s give this a try …
When I came to Hofstra, there were so many things I didn’t know.
The only thing I was sure of from day one was that I wanted to join The Chronicle, and by my fifth day on campus I was already covering a Hofstra soccer game.
I’ve given so much to this paper, but yet I still wish I could’ve done more. Not because I think I fell short or anything, but because I love this damn thing that has taken so many hours of sleep from me over the last three and a half years.
My earlier time at Hofstra is something I’ve told most people I know about 100 times. My freshman year was rough: I’m not the best adapting to new things, and I was under the impression a long-distance relationship was a good idea (ahahah). I finished the year relatively miserable and considered transferring.
Well thank God I didn’t, because with all of what was weighing me down behind me coming into sophomore year, I got myself motivated, happy, and I’ve had a blast here ever since. This place and the people here mean the world to me.
I’m so incredibly thankful for all of the awesome things I’ve gotten to be part of over all of my time here.
Whether it be a debate or a Division I college basketball tournament, or just getting the chance to talk to a Hofstra coach/athlete or running around campus just to find interview subjects, it has all been a priceless experience.
It is no secret that The Chronicle is seen as “second-rate” or just disrespected altogether by the general Hofstra community for a multitude of reasons.
But the people who work on this paper deserve respect for what they do.
Nobody in the School of Communication works as hard as some of the editors on this paper.
The amount of roles and responsibilities that are taken up by the people that work here is incredible, and they make it look easy.
Most of us at The Chronicle know what staying up past 3…4…5 a.m. (and even later…) is like, just to get an issue completed exactly how we want it. Who else is doing that here?
There are a few unfortunate circumstances that we have to deal with here.
Our budget is limited and we aren’t exactly able to upgrade our paper at will.
We’re also stuck on the second floor of the Student Center, not exactly a hub for a media organization.
Nonetheless, this paper has improved every single year I’ve been here, and my senior year has been absolutely incredible for this paper. I am so proud to have been able to be a part of it.
To the journalists at Hofstra: You may have some other options that are heavily advertised to work with here. And they’re great!
But if you give this paper your effort we are independent, we are hard-working, and you will learn so much because we are an entirely different experience than anything else.
To the staff, old and new, thank you so much for all of the hours we have spent together, somehow making spending ridiculous hours in a small office fun.
I’m so proud of what we’ve accomplished and I can’t wait to see what happens next. And specifically to all of my sports guys.
I came in working for this section when the staff was in the single digits, and now it is a huge production and a well-oiled machine. Sean, Mike, Kevin, PJ and Joe, you guys have all made a huge mark on my time here and am so happy to have worked with/played fire music with you.
I promise if I somehow make a lot of money in the future (ahahah) that I’ll pour some funds into this place to make it more of a giant on campus. But for now, thanks for everything, Chron. It has been a blast!