It’s hard for me to wrap my mind around the fact that after this semester, there will no longer be a print edition of The Collegian. 

Looking back at the past three years, working on The Collegian has taught be more about myself than I would’ve ever thought. Although there are nights when I’ve cried from frustration and complained about having to work on The Collegian every Tuesday night, I’ve learned how to work through abnormal hours, surrounded by the corkiest people, and become a real journalist.

And Tuesday nights in The Collegian office became a tradition. 

As a freshman, I remember walking into my first news meeting in the office upstairs. When I walked in, I introduced myself to all the upperclassmen on the staff.

The meetings, as they still are today, consisted of making a list of potential story ideas for the upcoming week. I attended because I wanted to take photos at athletic events. Once I was given the opportunity, I was more than happy that I got to pursue something that I loved. 

My sophomore year, The Collegian office had moved into a corner office downstairs. About the size of a closet, we had just enough room to move around the island of computers that were in the middle of the room.

Long nights were spent in the closet space consuming an excess amount of caffeine and sugar to keep us awake.

In The Collegian office, I learned more tricks in InDesign and the basics of how to layout a paper. And I was introduced to the ‘Damnit Doll,’ who was our go-to stress reliever when things weren’t working out right. 

Outside of the office, I was on the sidelines of Ferguson Field, Jack Miller Stadium and Kates Gymnasium taking photos, just like the professionals.

Before I knew it, I took over as the ‘official photographer’ on The Collegian staff. By the end of the year, I had the responsibilities of a collegiate photographer down and became a decent design editor. 

The year was full of late nights, Local Eats, frequent runs to the Eagles’ Nest for caffeine and sugar, frustration and laughter. I felt part of a family, The Collegian family.

Junior year, The Collegian welcomed new members to the editorial staff and we moved into the converged newsroom. While I continued to take photos, I took the skills that I learned from the previous year and the new skills I learned at my summer internship to become a better reporter, photographer and more efficient when laying out the newspaper.

The Collegian staff also celebrated 21st birthdays by reviewing local bars around Ashland; although we ended up being the only ones at the bar on Monday nights, with the exception of a few drunken regulars.

Apparently no one goes to the bar on Monday nights, except for journalists who need to escape from the newsroom for a beer or two… or three… or four.

As a rising senior, I decided to take on the role as managing editor. I was looking forward to stepping up and leading the team to make the best out of my last year on The Collegian staff.

And, I guess, serve as the last managing editor for The Collegian.

Over the years, The Collegian has brought me many challenges, but I’ve learned a lot about myself as a professional and as a journalist. I’ve learned that being a journalist means working opposite hours than the typical workday. With that, I’ve become adapted to drinking coffee to stay alert late at night. I’ve learned that there are many little details that go into developing an appealing newspaper. Those little details make a significant impact the ending product. I’ve also learned the importance of copy editing. Silly mistakes are embarrassing for everyone and for the paper as a whole. I’ve learned how to communicate and build relationships by managing individuals and collaborating as a team, and working with people around campus and in the Ashland community. With that, I’ve developed great friendships and even better connections that will assist in my future.

Without The Collegian, I wouldn’t have landed my internship as a newspaper editor at Lakeside Chautauqua, covered both athletic events and general campus happenings, or built connections with different students, faculty and staff members. 

Let’s put it this way, working at The Collegian is like getting a tattoo. The process is painful at many points, but the significance of the experience will always be imprinted in me, making it all worth it.