Warning: What you are about to read is the cheesiest thing you will ever encounter in the state of Wisconsin. This is the last column—the last anything—I will write for The Daily Cardinal, and if you think it will be anything other than a sappy, emotional breakdown, you might be dumber than our governor. Also, if you could sing Vitamin C’s “Graduation (Friends Forever)” to yourself whilst reading this, that would be tremendous. Thanks!
In so many ways, I am ready to graduate. I started my senior year with debilitating burnout, thus climbing Bascom Hill was not the only uphill battle I encountered on campus. I did not care to write 20-page papers on the Cold War’s end. I did not see the merit in designing yet another advertising campaign only my professor would see. What I did have, however, was a desire to show up in 2142 Vilas daily to craft the best newspaper I could. For that reason, I will never be truly ready to graduate.
Thanks to my strong belief in the power of the written word and a likeness to Rory Gilmore, I came to UW-Madison knowing I would be involved with the college newspaper. Because of its century-plus legacy and a stroke of good fortune that I picked up it and not The Badger Herald, I landed myself in the Cardinal office, a room filled with like-minded individuals, individuals who over the past four years have proven themselves to be the most passionate, intelligent people at this university.
I remember the first time I walked through its door more vividly than I do any other college experience. Upon seeing me come in, Editor in Chief Al Morrell immediately rose from his seat, shook my hand and welcomed me to The Daily Cardinal. From that moment on, I called that office home. I went on to hold three editorships, each shaping who I was as a journalist and, more importantly, who I was as a person.
Of course, all good journeys are like Rainbow Road: perpetually beautiful but not without some challenging turns. The Cardinal is no exception. Each position presented its own series of challenges, and though my sanity sometimes wavered, my love and commitment to this institution never did. Hard work was part of the job, and the job was freaking awesome.
At the Cardinal, we are not paid for the work we do, neither are we offered credit for the extra hours we spend in Vilas Hall. We show up every day because we know what we are doing is important and because we love it, and you best believe that is motivation enough.
Everyone on staff is a teacher and everyone is a student. This university is filled to the brim with brilliant professors, but the people who have taught me the most are my Cardinal colleagues. Thanks to them, I have both the professional and personal skills to leave my little corner of the universe and enter the dreaded Real World.
Through this experience I have made friends I can only hope will last a lifetime. They are the type of people who challenge you, inspire you and refrain from judging you when you dance like a mad woman to “Combination Pizza Hut and Taco Bell.”
Two months ago, after hearing of the passing of his Cardinal colleague, New York Times reporter Anthony Shadid, ESPN’s Andy Katz tweeted the following: “To all those aspiring college journalists. Value the time at the campus newspaper. We had an amazing Cardinal staff. Lifetime of memories.”
To the Cardinalistas who made my college experience the adventure I dreamed it would be, I offer my most gracious admiration and love. I hope I have touched your lives in the same way you have mine, and though I am ready to see what the next chapter of my life holds, I doubt I will ever find a group of people as clever and kind as you guys and gals. Thank you all so much, and keep on sifting and winnowing.
Jacqueline is off to New York City for what can only be described as the dream internship. Send words of wisdom as well as final questions and comments to jgoreilly@dailycardinal.com.
