Another new school year is upon us. As September rolls in many students can’t help but think about all the changes and challenges that usually come with a fresh school year. New classes, new professors, new friends, maybe living in a new dorm or in an off-campus rental, new responsibilities, and a whole new schedule.
Since freshman year there have been several changes and challenges in my life. Yet one thing has always remained constant throughout my college career, and that would be The Outlook.
When starting the year as a freshman at Monmouth University, the first piece of advice any upperclassman will give you is to join a club. This helps you make friends, keeps you motivated and involved, and helps you grow. Often times, these clubs become like a family, a home away from home. Whether you join Hawk TV, Student Activities Board (SAB), Student Government Association (SGA), or any of the amazing clubs on campus they are sure to become your family. This is one of the things The Outlook has provided for me and I hope this always continues to be a home for new and old members of the paper.
This year I will be the Editor-in-Chief (EIC) at The Outlook. Holding this position means more to me than I feel I can properly articulate. I have grown up here and always hoped I would one day hold the position, but never honestly saw myself achieving this long term goal as it seemed almost unattainable to my young freshman eyes.
Now that it is my senior year I am both excited to take on the challenge of being EIC and saddened to see my time at The Outlook and at Monmouth come to an end. Luckily, I’ve had the opportunity to watch several editors before me graduate and go on to be successful, hardworking individuals. I have big shoes to fill but I feel confident in myself and will do my best to live up to these expectations.
This year I look forward to covering various topics such as the presidential election, expansions and renovations to come to Monmouth University, and the ongoing Office of Civil Rights investigation. We will also launch our new website, which I look forward to developing alongside our tech team.
The Outlook has been a reliable publication at Monmouth since 1933 and it is an honor to become a part of Monmouth history. I have confidence in this year’s amazing staff and know that they will work hard to maintain the honorable aspects of this paper. The staff is my motivation and we will continue to motivate one another as the year progresses.
As a staff we are lucky enough to have our advisor, John Morano, who always makes himself available to us and is more than willing to help any driven journalism student perfect their craft. Our office assistant Sandy Brown is so supportive and I can’t wait to work with her this year.
One of my favorite quotes by the band, Kings of Leon, is: “The open road, the path of greatness, it’s at your fingers.” This is how being both a student at Monmouth and an editor at the school paper has always made me feel. I have learned that if you believe in yourself and your goals then you can accomplish anything. Your life really is at your fingertips and it is your job to make sure you do with it what you wish.