If my two years at The Sunflower have taught me one thing, it’s that everyone has an important story to tell.
In my role as sports editor, I’ve learned that the best features don’t always come from the star athlete. From the person going through a slump, to the role players grinding during the offseason, to the coaches, to the staff behind the scenes, to the social media director to the referees, everyone has something important to say — as long as you take the time to listen.
In the words of Ted Lasso, journalism has shown me how to “be curious, not judgmental.”
I’m going to get on my soapbox for a second. I think far too often we jump to conclusions before really making an attempt to understand. In moments where I’ve made the decision to ask more questions and do more research, I’ve usually found that the truth is more complex and interesting than I’d initially assumed.
It’s something I’ve attempted to apply to my personal life, too (although often unsuccessfully; I’m infamous for interrupting).
Sometimes, I lose track of why we call the things we write “stories.” It’s because journalism, at its core, is about storytelling. At the heart of every good story are interesting characters.
Most of us consider ourselves the main characters of our own lives, but the more interesting people we truly make an effort to understand, the more character-rich our life stories become.
The people I’ve met through this job, both while writing stories and on The Sunflower’s staff itself, are what make it worthwhile.
It’s why I’m glad I chose to sacrifice my Wednesday nights (and Monday afternoons and Tuesday nights and Friday afternoons; we spend a lot of time in the newsroom) to The Sunflower.
The work is sometimes stressful, but the memories I’ve made — making shrines to Portal Paul, crushing people in staff Hunger Games and basketball, and getting to know some amazing people — will last forever.
If I shouted out every awesome person who works at The Sunflower, it’d take up the entire column, so I’ll be brief.
Thank you to Mia and Allison for serving as our leaders for the past two years and dealing with all the random things I choose to complain about and nitpick at 11 p.m. on a production night.
Thank you to Melanie for being my mentor and frat bro and for helping me get through the early stress of a new editor position last year. You really made me feel welcomed in the newsroom, and I appreciate that.
Thank you to Owen for being the GOAT of assistant editors. Journalism is a team sport, and I’m so grateful for you hopping on to edit game stories with me at midnight, and for my entire sports crew frantically checking social media for transfer news. I’m proud of what we accomplished this year.
Most importantly, thank you to every single person who’s taken the time to talk with me and entrusted me to tell your stories. I hope I’ve done you justice.
