As I sit down to write my final column, I realize that this might be the first time that I can’t find the right words. The pride that I feel about being part of this organization is all consuming, and the pride that I have for all of my co-workers is unparalleled.
I am often asked how I can put up with being a part of the media, and for this whole year, I have been trying to figure out a good answer. I think I finally have one. A lot of times working for a newspaper, I hear about all of the bad things that happen in this world. It can be easy to feel scared or feel like the world is falling apart. But beyond that, there is something else entirely. Without learning about and sharing the bad moments, there can be no change. Without recognizing them, the good moments won’t feel as good. Pope Francis once said that “the media only writes about the sinners and the scandals, but that’s normal, because a tree that falls makes more noise than a forest that grows,” and he couldn’t be more correct. The bad times happen, and they happen loudly, but the good times come too. For that reason, I choose to proceed with my life and move away from my column with hope, rather than fear.
Despite only being a sophomore, it is time for me to step back from The Daily Campus, not because I want to, but because I have to. For the entirety of next academic year, I’ll be moving to Germany, studying at Universität Mannheim and completing an internship in the country. I have spent the past six years learning German, and it has finally come time for me to use it.
As my departure approaches, hope and excitement dominate my thoughts on the experience to come. My participation in the EUROBIZ program was made possible by countless staff and faculty at the University of Connecticut, scholarship programs that our school provides and most of all by a scholarship through the Gilman Program, a United States Department of State endeavor meant to increase the mobility of American students and create a more internationally aware future for America.
Despite the current strained position of America’s foreign affairs, the governmental and organizational commitment to increasing global citizenship makes me feel encouraged. As I said in my first column installation, our country needs more international influence. There is a big world outside of America, with impactful relationships and experiences waiting for you. There are also countless resources to help you expand your horizons.
I’ll be going to Germany for a year to expand my own horizons, and I promise that I will be a good representation of what we want America to be. I am hopeful for a global future where we are all a little bit kinder to each other. When I come back from Germany, I will definitely see you again, in some capacity. But for now, I’ll miss you guys, and I hope that despite how nasty our world can be, my articles gave you some sense of hope.
So, for my final installation of “The Evie-dence”, I guess I want to leave you with a couple messages. First, I want to thank you. Thank you to every professor, student, family member and friend that read my articles. Thank you all for supporting me and making my work as a columnist and Associate Opinion Editor feel important. My work is important to me, and it is rewarding when it feels like it is important to the community too. Lastly, I want to tell you to have hope. Be brave, but humble, and get inspired. That being said, I’ll end it with a mach’s gut. Literally, it translates to “make it good”, but really, I just mean to tell you to take care, hold onto hope and I’ll see you soon.