Good journalism changes lives.

I have no delusions of grandeur, but I can honestly say that my life changed when I first stepped into The Telescope’s newsroom. It was hook, line and sinker.

I’ve learned more at The Telescope than every other class combined. I learned about the craft, about the field, but mostly, I learned about myself.

The Telescope is a special place, and it saddens me to be leaving it. But I’m thankful for every minute that I’ve spent here.

After these last two years, I can say with certainty that, if you are on the fence about joining the staff, take the plunge.

You’ll make friends here, and not the fleeting kind. You’ll bond over bad puns in headlines. You’ll make honest, real connections with people. Lasting connections, at least in my opinion.

You’ll spend way too much time in the newsroom. It’ll become your second home. You’ll spend hours reading captions, deleting semicolons and deciding whether or not to add an Oxford comma.

There’ll be tears, and sweat, and possibly blood. There’ll be no shortage of coffee, or holy-shit-deadline-is-in-an-hour moments.

But the newsroom will hook you, and no matter how it mistreats you, you’ll always come back.

Well, at least for those of us with ink in our blood.

And even though our sliver of the media may seem insignificant, the work done at The Telescope is every bit as valid as any legacy newspaper.

So, firstly, I’d like to thank The Telescope for basically sealing my fate. I flirted with going into advertising for a while. But I’ve caught the journalism bug. Now I’m doomed.

I’d like to thank the staff, both current and former. It’s inspiring to work with so many talented men and women every day. You have all made me better, in a way.

And I’d like to thank our adviser and our business manager. You are amazing teachers and incredible people. The newsroom would not be the same place without both of you.

Good journalism changes lives. And there is definitely good journalism being done here.