I’m going to miss Commerce. There I said it. That wasn’t so hard!
(But as I found out yet again this morning, there is one thing I won’t miss: being burned by the shower in Whitley Hall. Ouch!)
When I arrived here two-and-a-half years ago, I couldn’t have pictured that I would be here today writing my last column for The East Texan, much less, graduating from Texas A&M University-Commerce.
Fresh from Paris Junior College, I thought I knew what I wanted to do: stay at Commerce for a year, and then transfer to a “real” journalism school. I mean no offense by that statement; it’s what I felt at the time.
Things didn’t look too promising from the start.
Day one: I meet my roommate and he seems OK. He proceeds to probe me about different things, ranging from my music tastes to my religious beliefs and everything in between. I find it a bit peculiar, but I go with it. He then, glares at my girlfriend and I and says, “You guys aren’t going to have sex here.”
I say, “Fine, whatever,” a little upset about the instant judgment and evil eye.
Two weeks later, after a long night working on The East Texan, I get in bed quietly thinking my roommate is asleep. What I didn’t know was that he and his girlfriend were occupying the space and yeah … they made whoopie beside me in the same room.
The continued co-habitation and perceived indiscetions were enough to make my first semester a disaster and consider an early exit. (Maybe Residence Life should invest in eHarmony.com so roommates will be matched on 29 levels of compatibility. That would have been helpful.)
My only saving grace was The East Texan and despite what I originally thought, the education I was receiving. (Dr. Lamar Bridges is one of the best journalism professors you will ever have!)
Things got better the next semester. I got a new roommate, started to meet the University community and just plain had fun (I really took a liking to racquetball at the MSC). The whole time, I continued to work diligently on the newspaper each week. In April 2006, I was named editor-in-chief for the 2006-2007 academic year and accepted an internship with Performer Magazine in San Francisco.
It couldn’t get any better. Right?
Serving as editor-in-chief of The East Texan was one of ups-and-downs. Dealing with my grandmother’s illness and death took a definite toll on me. Prior, I had not dealt with anything like that. To make matters worse, weeks into the job, over 2,700 of our newspapers were taken off the racks, in response to a cover story about students being arrested at a fraternity house. Overall, the stress was overwhelming for me. I believe it was for the better, in making me handle difficult situations.
But, with the bad comes the good.
I learned humility from being under a microscope and accountable every issue. (Much of it from instructor Hannah Barton’s post-mortem!) I learned how to be a leader. Most importantly, I learned about myself.
I had an epiphany the other day. Had I opted to go a “real” school, I may not have had the opportunities to learn and have the necessary education needed to find my calling in life. Being on a weekly college newspaper, it has afforded me the opportunity to wear many hats and play many roles. Since we aren’t a “UT” or “A&M-College Station,” there are opportunities like this across campus. I encourage students to take advantage of the unique situations here and make a difference.
All along, what I was looking for was staring me in the face. It was real. It was A&M-Commerce.
My beef with the campus:
I’m not ignorant to the fact that there are problems on this campus. I could harp on the apathetic attitude of the student body, but I really don’t feel like it.
My Oscar moment:
To the readers, thank you for acknowledging my work. To the The East Texan staff that I’ve worked with over the years, thanks for all the good times and late nights. Thank you to every person – professors, family, and friends – who helped me become the man I am today.
I will be out of the office indefinitely …