I never expected to see goodbye columns in the middle of the year in The Spectrum. I really had never expected that I'd be the one writing it.
If you've never been a part of The Spectrum, you have no idea how difficult this column is to write or why it's even worth writing.
Even my parents, who I can count on calling me if they don't hear from me by 9 p.m., even if they know it's a production day, still are baffled by my dedication to an extracurricular that has absolutely nothing to do with my plans to go into nursing.
However, one thing they forget is that The Spectrum is my big school family. There's fighting, there's crying, there's laughing, and there's games. When something happens, you can guarantee everyone in the family is going to find out. All of this happens while trying not to piss off Papa Parrino.
And if the editor in chief is the papa, the desk each of us work for would be our siblings. I've had the honor and privilege of working for both News and Life desks this semester and have made some friendships that will never go away. We've fought and screamed at each other. But at the end of the day, I know we'll hug it out with love.
The things I have learned from this paper are things that can never be taken away. I can now properly use a semi-colon and do so proudly. I know better how to analyze writing pieces. I know I'm not always going to get what I expect from others, but I sometimes just have to make it work. I've realized that sometimes you can't be everyone's friend and need to be a little intense sometimes to get your point through.
And I've learned the importance of taking time off. Which brings us here.
The Spectrum is something I love with all my heart. I've stayed up to the wee hours of the morning, stressing over an article that I have to finish…only to find out the next morning that I forgot to attach the file to the email.
But I have to step away from it to make time for what I know my future hinges on. You can guarantee that I'll still be spending some of my free time in Student Union 132.
‘Til next time, Speccys! I shall miss you all!
Email: steven.wrobel@ubspectrum.com
stevenwr@buffalo.edu
