As I sit down to write my last From the Editor’s Desk, it is under completely different circumstances than I originally thought.
With two weeks left in the semester, I would be writing this in the newsroom, preparing to finish up the last of college classes, spending all my time with friends and crossing off the rest of my senior bucket list.
I am doing the exact opposite while I sit alone in my apartment, preparing for my Zoom class call, texting with my friends instead of seeing them in person and leaving my senior year bucket list with many things left undone.
Within an amount of days, the remainder of my senior year at Ohio University had been taken from me. While I understand the circumstances, I feel as if my time at OU won’t be complete without having my last ever finals week, creating the last print edition of The Post together in the newsroom and celebrating all our accomplishments at graduation.
I thought I would be writing this under very different circumstances with a completely different set of emotions associated with this last From the Editor’s Desk. I expected to be feeling nostalgic about the final days of my senior year, not quite ready to say goodbye. Now, it feels as if I will never get the proper goodbye to Athens, OU and The Post like I had once planned.
However, I am trying to see the positives in all of this. Looking back at my last real week at OU before spring break, I mostly remember the day-to-day of class, the laughter shared in the newsroom and the fun I had with my roommates seeing Jesse McCartney sing all our childhood hits.
Memories like these are how I will always remember my time in Athens, even if it did not end how I wanted. I blinked and the last four years flew by.
I remember my freshman year and how nervous I was to first join The Post. My sophomore year was divided between making memories in Adams Hall the first semester and spending the second semester in Florence, Italy meeting some of the best people and visiting the most amazing places. I look back on junior year remembering the hard work as a news editor but enjoying all my free time with friends.
Senior year has been full of the unexpected. At The Post, it has been busy with adjusting to changes and keeping up with news reporting. As a student, it has been a time to spend with friends and for making plans for life after graduation.
For now, I will say goodbye. I know I am saying goodbye to my life as a student at OU and The Post, but Athens is a place I will always be able to call home.
To our readers: Thank you for always supporting The Post, especially during these times. We promise to continue to be a needed resource in Athens and at OU. Without you, The Post would not be possible.
To our staff: Thank you for being the most amazing group of people to lead. Each member of The Post brings their own set of skills and talents. It’s so exciting to work with such a great group of student journalists. Be proud of all the hard work you have done this year. I can’t wait to see what each one of you accomplish in the years to come.
It has been the greatest opportunity to be the editor-in-chief of The Post. Thank you to The Post for all of the friends, the hard work and the memories. Baker 325 and the people in it will always have a piece of my heart.
Ellen Wagner is a senior studying journalism at Ohio University and the editor-in-chief of The Post. Have questions? Email Ellen at ew047615@ohio.edu or tweet her @ewagner19.
