If you didn't know, The Miami Student distributes its own papers. That means one or two of us spend our Fridays lugging 2,000 copies to newsstands all around campus and Oxford. When I first became an assistant editor and found this out I thought: These journalism freaks are insane. Think about the opportunity cost! How would that be utility-maximizing?
I asked my editor, Abby Bammerlin, why she did it, and she just looked at me and shrugged her shoulders.
“I'd do anything for this paper,” she said. Like it was the most natural thing in the world.
I honestly couldn’t tell you how I ended up here. I’m an economics and data analytics major, I’m not going into journalism and I frankly don’t like interacting with people. I especially hate feeling rejected, which is like 90% of what reporters deal with. But I was a first-year, and I liked to write, and I was lonely holed up in my dorm — my classes were all online. So I figured: sure. Whatever.
And then my first story made the front page. I’m a narcissist, so obviously I loved that. But I also enjoyed writing stories. Maybe not the interviewing people part — that was an acquired taste — but I loved combining research and voices and telling a story with them. Turns out I prefer doing the same thing only with numbers. But I still love it.
So I wrote more stories. I talked to professors and community members and students and administrators. I covered protests, guest lectures, ceremonies and school board meetings. I reported on issues that were affecting the people who live and go to school here. I spent hours and hours in the newsroom, going on C&C walks to escape the body heat and faint scent of Domino’s pizza. I laughed and made friends, and I started to care so deeply about this town. About this school. About you all.
Getting to speak with so many people in this community, at Miami University and in Oxford, has been a pleasure. Reporting for you has been a pleasure. To anyone who’s read a story of mine, spoken to me for one or put up with my many emails (university administrators, I mean you), thank you.
And to my friends at TMS, gosh, this is the most sentimental you’ve seen me get and ever will see. I hate being vulnerable publicly, and my econ friends would make fun of me if they ever actually read anything we write, but I love you.
To Kasey and Taylor, my fellow Campus & Community editors who I’ve been mentoring (read: sometimes helping but not really), thank you guys for kicking ass these past few weeks while I’ve been MIA with my regressions and what have you. I think it’s clear my laissez-faire leadership is to credit for the excellent journalists you’re both becoming. I have no doubt you’re gonna make TMS even better than it was under me.
To Luke, sorry I said my Roman empire was making fun of you in that TikTok. Still kinda true though. But you seriously make me laugh so much and I’ve really loved having you around.
To Sean, I’ve looked up to you so much as a journalist, particularly as such a highly ethical one. We’ve covered some big stories, some with my name attached to them, and I always felt so secure in your ability to navigate those tough decisions and lead us as a paper. But more importantly, you’re probably the kindest person I know, and also the most map-obsessed person I know, which together make for a pretty awesome person. You’re gonna do incredible things, and I can’t wait to see them.
To Alice, who sends the best voice memos and emoji combos, you taught me about what being an editor, what being a leader means more than anyone has. I was seriously in awe of you when I first moved up to C&C editor, and I honestly still am now (although now I’m remembering that you plan out your day to the minute in your notes app, so feeling slightly less awed). I’ve loved getting to know you and know you’re gonna girlboss so hard in life.
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To everyone at TMS, thank you for making Miami feel like home. I know it’ll be so hard to go on without me, but to quote one of my favorite movies ("Dazed and Confused"), “You just gotta keep livin’ man. L-I-V-I-N.”
Reagan out.
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