Going into the spring of my sophomore year, I was in dire need of Honors College credits for graduation.
I remember frantically looking into classes relevant to my law major that I could take to satisfy those requirements, but there weren't any. I thought to myself, well, English is close enough to law so let me see if there honors credits available for those classes.
There was one: ENG 394.
The course title was Writing Workshop, and I wanted to improve my writing skills, so I enrolled immediately. The class description was a bit of a scare, saying it was looking for reporters for the student newspaper. But after consulting with UBReddit, I decided to stick with it.
Since then, I’ve spent five semesters with The Spectrum, I went from staff writer to assistant sports to senior sports editor. By then the paper had given me so much, so when the time came to elect a new Editor in Chief, I wanted to give back by doing my best in leading it forward.
Leading the student newspaper through its 75th year was an immense honor, and easily my biggest professional contribution to date.
Looking at those big Spectrum names before me — Justin, Anthony, Grant, Ryan, Moaz — I knew I had big shoes to fill. You all set the bar high, and I hope I did a good job maintaining the high standards of the paper. Thank you all for taking the time to check in with me this past year, and for believing in me to run this paper.
I was underprepared. But as my time at UB unfolded, I learned that you don’t learn to swim by taking prerequisites. You learn to swim by going into the water.
Going into the water was the best decision I’ve made in my time here at UB. But I wouldn’t have learned how to swim without the help of some amazing people.
Matt Parrino, thank you for making me feel so welcome at the paper when I first enrolled in the class. You taught me everything I needed to know to run this whole thing. You were a great professor, and an even better friend. Thank you for making time for those late night calls and for being the best faculty advisor I could’ve ever asked for. I wish you nothing but the best moving forward, regardless of what Lewis Capaldi says.
Hannah, my Damar Hamlin interview partner, I can’t say thank you enough. I never would have guessed as sophomores pledging Phi Alpha Delta we would be the duo to run the student newspaper some semesters later. You stepped into the managing editor role and made it yours from the get go, helping out wherever possible. Your robust dedication to the position was inspiring, thank you for giving the position your all. I’ll miss those story rants and staying up late editing stories. Thank you for being an amazing managing editor and putting your faith in me as a friend. Good luck in the big apple, auntie.
Sophia, you’re unc status with me. We met freshman year in Governor’s and like Hannah, I didn’t know you would be an integral part of The Spectrum years later. You are hilarious, kind and caring, but you aren’t afraid to call things as they are, and that’s what I admire about you. You will make an amazing lawyer one day. Thank you for all the laughs you brought to the office during the editors meetings, even if we had to drag you to the class afterwards. I will miss reading your unique and creative stories on production days.
Mylien, from the beginning, you were dedicated to The Spectrum. Thank you for manning the news desk these past two semesters, I can only hope to be as disciplined as you. I truly appreciate you and everything you do. I’m going to miss our inside jokes about the stories we were writing and your girlboss presence in the office. I am so proud of you.
Matthew, thank you for running all of The Spectrum’s business operations. You were an invaluable member of this newspaper, and I am so grateful for you. Thank you for getting us the Mailchimp sends, making sure the editors got paid and making time for the staff even when you had so much going on. You are indeed a Spectrum legend.
Rodrigo, I don’t know a lot of people that can jump from writing about punk rock bands to Halcovage’s Bulls, but you certainly can. I am very lucky to have seen your rise from staff writer to senior sports — following my footsteps — and doing a great job at it. You set a high standard for the many sports editors coming after you.
Lilly and Alyssa, going into the academic year I was a little worried about finding Moaz’s successor. But Lilly, you put all those worries to rest, and did an amazing job manning the multimedia desk. Thank you for being a friendly presence in the office all the time. Alyssa, thank you for helping us out with tabling and for joining our team. I’m happy that the multimedia desk is in good hands for the next few semesters.
Sabrina, Destiny and Emma, you all revamped The Spectrum’s marketing. The graphics, podcast episodes and the newsletter designs were stellar. Thank you all for your fantastic work this semester. Since it still applies for another semester, don’t forget to #ReachOutToSabrinaForGraphics.
Haley, Nadia and Marina, thank you all for stepping up. I know I only had one semester with y’all as my editors, but it’s one I wouldn’t change for anything. Marina’s creative writing, Nadia’s movie reviews — even the satirical ones — and Haley’s excellent coverage of campus events are stories that I will miss reading on production days. You three are such talented writers.
And finally, Izabella and Amy: I am so proud of the two of you. You both stepped up to lead this paper, and your determination on wanting to make the newspaper better makes me feel good about who I’m leaving the paper with. Brother Izabella, it’s nostalgic seeing you take the same path I did from PAD to sports desk to EIC. It was an honor being your Spectrum big. Amy, you are probably going to be the youngest managing editor in Spectrum history, but that title is well deserved. Thank you for always being so willing to help whenever we needed it. I guess I can’t say, “Wow, you were in high school last year” anymore.
Thank you all for an amazing culminating year of my time at The Spectrum. Each of you played an important role in making this year successful, and I wouldn’t change anything about this team. You all have helped me grow as a person. Thank you, UB Spectrum.
Ricardo Castillo was the Editor in Chief and can be reached at ricardo.castillo@ubspectrum.com
Ricardo Castillo is the editor-in-chief of The Spectrum.
