As a New York City native, I thought I knew it all. The Big Apple is known for the bluntness of its individuals, diverse culture, and a larger-than-life ethos. I proudly took all of those characteristics with me when I decided to become an English major at UB. I thought I instantly one-upped these Buffalo natives just by being a Brooklynite.
I'm twice as headstrong as I was back then, but I will still admit I was wrong.
Buffalo is much smaller than New York City, but it too has a story to tell. It's a huge part of our job to tell that story. Additionally, there are passionate people behind these stories, whether they are in the local music scene or in sports - especially sports.
Another thing that I've took away during my three years at The Spectrum concerns the importance of discourse. One of the great things that the objectivism of true journalism does is that it forces us to ask ourselves the questions. We only truly find out who we are in our search for answers. College is essentially about finding out who we are, which is why college publications like The Spectrum are so important.
A lot of students expect me to have the answers because of my experiences as an editor for the sports and arts desk. I say "I don't know" to a lot of them because I wouldn't know where to begin for those answers.
Lastly, part of what has motivated me to work with The Spectrum for so long is that there are so many things wrong with Buffalo and UB. But at the same time there's an equal amount of things right.
But don't get me wrong - Brooklyn all day, every day.
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
