Dear Readers,
It didn’t hit me until Thursday that my year has come to an end. I almost teared up at the Technician budget meeting and our end of the year picnic didn’t help the nostalgia.
Reflecting back on when I was first hired, I cannot believe I made it. Along with everyone who was there to see me hired, it seemed impossible then to tackle this something no one fully understood. I kept pushing through though and the staff beat the odds. A freshman photographer in horticultural science can move beyond the stereotype, lead the newspaper and serve the N.C. State community.
I know Technician has not been perfect this year and I never expected it to be. When I started, Technician only had a few staff members and the first issue of the year ran a blank viewpoint page. It makes me cringe, but it reminds me how far we’ve come.
It may not seem far when you think about each story we didn’t tell, each detail we didn’t fix before it printed, or each correction we’ve run, no matter how small. But my goal was to make sure that the newspaper was in the stands the next morning and was as informative and accurate as we could make it. I know we are not perfect but we still tirelessly work to improve so we can keep you informed.
I can’t forget the victories Technician has also had. We’ve continued to serve as the N.C. State community’s forum. We’ve covered stories that have made you think, laugh and respond. We’ve created and engaged in dialogue with members of our community. We’ve completed our mission and I’ve done what I can, but now it is time to move on to the next stage.
Sixty hours a week is a lot of time to get back. Thinking about what I will do with it after everything I’ve done in Witherspoon and across this campus, I don’t know if there is enough to do. You can look forward to seeing me at more events, behind a camera or maybe through the panes of the Marye Anne Fox Greenhouses. Who knows?
This year at Technician has been amazing though. I’ve seen significant changes in the quality of the paper and the staff members. Everyone has grown so much and knowing what I’ve seen this year, I know next year will be even better.
I leave the newspaper in good, capable hands, both with the next editor-in-chief and next year’s staff. Technician will be here to cover the issues, the people and the stories and bring them to you each day. So here’s to another paper, update, story, photo and tweet.
Sincerely,
Amanda Wilkins
Editor-in-Chief