Throughout the past 3.5 years, my name has been listed on the pages of 61 issues of the Spectrum. Today will be the last time it is in the byline.
As I reflect on my time in college, I realize that I’ve grown into a completely different person. Most especially, I’ve seen a major improvement in my self-confidence, in every aspect. There are many reasons for this personal growth, but I attribute a great part of it to the Spectrum. I couldn’t imagine my college experience without this newspaper.
Kickstarting my Spectrum journey, I was lucky enough to take the News Writing & Reporting class in the spring semester of my freshman year. At this time, I gained the title of staff writer in the features section.
Truthfully, everything about news writing terrified me at the time. When tasked with interviewing Sacred Heart University faculty and even students, I would secretly hope that they’d opt to send me their responses over email so I didn’t have to meet a stranger face-to-face.
I also couldn’t understand what made the news interesting. I felt like I was just listing facts and quotes over and over until some semblance of a story came together. How is there any form of art in that?
I know this all sounds very pessimistic coming from one of the current managing editors, but I promise my perspective has completely shifted since then.
As that semester was nearing a close, I did not apply for the Spectrum editorial board. I didn’t think I was capable.
I am so thankful that Prof. Kabak saw the potential in me, encouraging and allowing me to submit an application past the deadline. I question where I would be today if she hadn’t had that faith in me. After our interview, I officially took on the role of news editor for my sophomore year.
Transitioning into this role allowed me to find the beauty in news writing. Sure, it is made up of a lot of facts and quotes; I got that right. But it is much more than that! It is telling the stories that matter most, in a way that is digestible for anybody and everybody. It is giving people an outlet to be heard. Even while maintaining objectivity, it is sharing something the world deserves to know about.
I began to claim my writing, instead of just following a template. I found my voice, and this translated into every other part of my life.
I studied abroad during the spring of my sophomore year, so I had a brief hiatus from the Spectrum. But I returned in the fall as spotlight editor (the newest section of the paper, now known as Campus Life).
That was a challenging semester, as I had the responsibility to fill the section by myself almost every single week. However, this was when my fear of interviewing really began to fade away.
I was consistently writing articles that highlighted specific people, and I loved it! Meeting so many intriguing individuals and being able to shine a light on their successes, big and small, made me realize what an incredible opportunity it is to hear and, subsequently, share the stories of others.
Due to some staffing changes, I was news editor, once again, during the spring of my junior year. With a variety of roles now under my belt, I was thrilled to become managing editor of content for my senior year. Unlike previous positions I had accepted, I finally felt confident in my abilities, and I was excited to flourish in this role.
Somewhere along the way, I officially changed my major from strategic communications to media arts with a concentration in journalism. My perspective on news writing has shifted so much that I now plan to pursue a career in journalism, and it’s all thanks to the Spectrum.
Who knew that writing 600 words on a page for a freshman-year class would eventually help me find confidence and security in myself? That certainly was not my expectation, but I am ever so grateful.
It is difficult to imagine leaving this newspaper behind. It has been, perhaps, the most consistent part of my life throughout the past few years. But I know my Spectrum journey doesn’t end here… I’ll always be a reader!
Happily reporting for the Spectrum, one last time, Valentina Massoni, Managing Editor of Content.
