A goodbye letter from The Record Executives

Kayla:

I’ve been a part of this newsroom in some capacity since nearly the moment I arrived on campus my first year, so The Record has truly been a massive part of my CSB+SJU experience from start to finish. From news writer to news editor to managing editor, and then a year and a half as Editor-in-Chief, this job has seen me through a lot of growth and change.

It’s difficult for me to describe my gratitude for this experience in a readable amount of words, and those that know me personally have heard me say it often. For the sake of expediency on the page, let me put it this way: this has been one of the most challenging, character-building and exciting experiences I’ve had in college. Beyond the resume-building and portfolio work (of which there have been many, many bylines — ask me how many ledes I’ve written and rewritten) several of my closest friends came out of this paper and the family we create in the newsroom is something we are immensely proud of.

Kate:

My time at The Record has been nothing short of special. From starting out as an Op-Ed editor, filling in as Editor-in-Chief while Kayla was abroad, to working side by side with her this past year, I am beyond grateful for each edition, each story, each semester with The Record. I have met some of my dearest friends, laughed until my stomach hurts and created such fond memories that will stay with me beyond graduation.

CSB+SJU, you are something special. I am who I am today because of my time here, the people I’ve met, the friendships I created, the professors who supported me each step of the way. The way people I’ve met at CSB+SJU have poured into me and my life here, they have shown me the importance of community. I am reminded daily of the importance of reciprocating that to others too; you cannot have a village without being a villager. I am grateful to CSB+SJU for fostering my growth, welcoming me in at any stage of life and showing me the importance of human connection

My advice to you is to soak in every second here, talk to someone new, get involved with a new club or organization, get to know your professors beyond the classroom and share many, many laughs with your friends. It goes by fast, take in every bit.

Kayla and Kate:

The seniors this year are leaving this community in extremely capable hands with our upcoming staff, and we are so excited to watch their work as alums. We have such great memories from this office that have been shaped by all the incredible people we work with. A lot of blood, sweat and tears goes into these pages every week, but we are also convinced that no one has more fun on a Wednesday than we do at production night.

We are so grateful for our advisor Kelly Smith who is a continued inspiration for us as student journalists who constantly strive to hold ourselves to professional standards. Her guidance empowers us to stand on our own two feet and produce something to be proud of. There’s a lot of talk about print journalism being a dying breed, but we’re sincerely proud that this isn’t the case on our campuses. Continued readership keeps that tradition alive, and we hear often from contributors or subjects of stories about how there isn’t anything like seeing their names or words in physical print.

In many ways, The Record is an extremely unique venture on our campuses. It is our hope that community members see it for what it is — a place to voice opinions, an outlet for creativity, a source to inform and a way to hold ourselves and others accountable. But beyond all this, it is a living, breathing, human snapshot of our history that circulates each week. The Record has always been by students, for students, and will continue to be throughout what we know will be a successful future.

With this in mind, our advice to our community is to make this paper your own. You do this already probably without even trying — look at the faces in the photos on the front page, or read about the athletes we’ve featured in Sports, for example. These are just a few students who shaped the stories of the week.

The Record is built on engagement and notable news, which is formed through campus clubs, student accomplishments and especially opinion submissions. This CSB+SJU community is what you make it, and those in this newsroom will keep reporting on all the incredible things you do on these campuses and providing you a space to talk about the things that matter to you. Above all, we hope this publication serves as a place of trust, where community members can look to in difficult times to help inform and make sense of things. Journalism isn’t always easy or comfortable, but a free press of any scale is always worth protecting.

From two very grateful executives, we are signing off with so much love for this paper and the great things it does. All our best to every single one of you as you enjoy your years at this special place — it goes so much faster than you think.