During my time at the University, I’ve been many things. I’ve been a student, a writer, a dancer and even a dropout for a brief time. Throughout my time in The Cavalier Daily, I’ve taken on many faces; from the brand new reporter who somehow didn’t interview a single person in the Peace Corps for an article about the Peace Corps, to the editor who spent 20 minutes deciding on the placement of a comma. With all of these experiences at my back and my future ahead of me, I’m faced with the dilemma of figuring out who I am in the world.
My journey with The Cavalier Daily started off with a rejection from the Life section after applying to be a biweekly columnist. Admittedly, first-year me had no idea how to translate my winning personality into 800 words. I had no idea who I was, or who I even wanted to be. I don’t really remember what I wrote about for my submission, but I’m sure it had something to do with being a little fish in a big pond — sadly not original enough to land a spot as a columnist.
Letting the sting of rejection fade away along with my dreams of being the real-life Carrie Bradshaw, I tried my hand at the Arts & Entertainment blog — a long-lost Tumblr page I have no interest in trying to ever find again out of sheer embarrassment. After about two posts about movies I had never seen, I joined the news section. I didn’t know anything about reporting, but I did know my roommate was joining and there was no application to get in, so I gave it a shot.
My career as a news reporter was full of ups and downs and hard-hitting stories, from tracking a year’s worth of student self-governance to conducting my most high-profile interview ever, an expert on — you guessed it — the Eastern Gray Squirrel. Being an editor was no less stressful. Never before had I been responsible for such a large group of people and their work, and I definitely buckled under the pressure more than a few times. At the same time, I had never been more proud of myself and of the work those around me were doing. I was learning from so many people every day and growing a confidence in myself that I had never known.
Now that The Cavalier Daily is no longer a part of my daily life, I wonder what my short-lived legacy might be. Will people remember my mistakes? Will they remember my successes? Or will I just be known as the girl who sprained her knee dancing on a pole at a staff party (something I’m sure someone has footage of on their phone)?
As I’m writing this, I can’t help but think how vain it is to wonder how the next year or so of staffers will think of me. But I keep coming back to the thought because, above all, what I’ll remember most about my years with The Cavalier Daily are the people who surrounded me day in and day out.
It’s the memory of nights ended with the last three people in the office watching videos of unlikely animal friends that will beat out the memory of lost sleep. It’s the memory of buying ridiculous outfits for a party theme five of us decided on and no one else followed that will beat out the memory of stressful deadlines. And it’s the memory of smiles and laughter and singing and dancing around the office that will beat out the memory of long hours of hard work.
This organization has shaped who I am through the people I’ve met. For everyone I’ve come across in my time in The Cavalier Daily — this is for you. It’s not much, but it’s my everlasting gratitude for helping me to know who I want to be.
Thank you for helping me find my strengths, for making me face my mistakes, for allowing me to know some of the most talented people I have ever met and for being able to call them friends today. I have learned so much from you — and not just that I have such easily injured joints. I have learned who I hope to be because I saw myself surrounded by it everyday: someone who seeks the truth, someone who strives to serve their community, someone who surrounds the life of another with joy and laughter.
Thank you for teaching me so much about myself — including how to write a column, even if it’s almost four years too late. Thank you for inspiring me everyday for those four years and for years to come.
Kayla Eanes was the 127th Managing Editor of The Cavalier Daily.
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