So long… farewell…

A friend once told me I could really write and I should do something about it. Well, I have and here we are today. All things must come to an end, and to be totally transparent, I never saw the end of my time here in the Talon coming at me so quickly. 

Writing for the Talon has become such a natural part of my life while in college, so to be writing my final story is surreal. Although, as my time comes to a close, I sit in a coffee shop, writing and asking myself, “Did I really make an impact?” This is for you to be the judge of. 

I had the chance to be a part of the Talon throughout multiple seasons of change, which includes before, during and after the coronavirus pandemic. I am amongst an age group of particularly unique people due to this, and I consider it as a novelty in my time at Oklahoma Christian University.

I have written a wide variety of stories from how the coronavirus impacted the lives of students to how things were altered for the better after the pandemic. Oklahoma Christian was truly one of the most adaptable places I had seen, as well as the place which brought up the most discussion. 

With the coronavirus changing so much, it shined light onto some blatant flaws on campus, which I had the opportunity to write about. As a journalist, it is my duty to the campus to report what is happening and the truth of how it happened. There were many times where I felt this ability slipping through my fingers as various changes shifted the tide of acceptance in the media world on campus. 

I am aware this sounds dramatic, but take a look at the timeline of Oklahoma Christian from 2019 to 2023. We watched the shut down of campus, the demolition of small chapels and the ridicule of certain organizations on campus. 

With change comes naysayers, and this is normal in any route to reformation. However, I regret not having the chance to write about as much as I could have because there were so many remarkable stories on campus in my four years of college. 

All this being said, I had the opportunity to write about some amazing people and multiple ground-breaking events. I also saw how the campus could come together no matter the struggle and support and rally behind any group. 

I watched as Oklahoma Christian rallied behind the loss of a student my freshman year. I marched with my brothers and sisters in Christ after we came back from quarantine my sophomore year for the Black Lives Matter movement. I stood firm signing a petition with all of the student body to bring back small chapels my junior year. Finally, I stood in awe as the campus loved the communication department in light of the loss of Professor David Jurney this year. 

The ride has been a wild one, one filled with so many endeavors I would not trade a single thing for. Thank you, Oklahoma Christian, for allowing me to write stories for you, and thank you for reading them. I know news can be boring or easy to hear from when gossiped about, but I know there has been so much support from the campus community and I give it all to you to uphold. 

Never stop being curious and stand firm in your community. I will truly miss the home I have created at Oklahoma Christian despite the ups and downs I faced, and I look forward to what the next generation of writers has to offer the campus community. 

Farwell…