Dreaming of goodbye

LAURA TRESSEL | COPY EDITOR

Although Mondays are the most commonly hated weekday, I do like one thing about them: listening to my newly revised Spotify Discover Weekly playlist. This Monday I sat down to write this and eagerly clicked the play button, wondering if it would be a good week for randomly selected music, or if I would revert to playing my old Avril Lavigne albums.

“Hey now, hey now, don’t dream it’s over.”

The ironic first song on my Discover Weekly playlist drove that sharp spike of nostalgia deeper into my already pained chest. Well, it is over. There’s no denying it. This is my final issue working as the Copy Editor for The USD Vista. I’m sad. Forget graduation — that’s something I’m excited for — the sadness stems from knowing that I’ll be leaving behind the most amazing work experience I’ve ever had.

Last year around this time, I saw a Facebook post announcing that The Vista was hiring. After years of finding joy from noticing typos in my textbooks, I decided to put my editing skills to use and applied for the Copy Editor position. I was both excited and nervous when I got an email saying the job was mine. I had the idea in my head that these people were a well-oiled machine, working together in sync to churn out the polished content of our school’s newspaper, and I didn’t want to mess that up.

Well, this year I’ve found out that “well-oiled machine” is not even close to the right description of our office. It is loud, hectic, at times messy, and always surprising. Cleary, I fit right in.

Despite being one of the newer members of the Vista family, I feel like this is a group of people with whom I truly belong. The hours we spend trapped in the time-warping office in the SLP are moments I will cherish forever. Sure, I might have wished some nights went smoother and quicker than they did, but looking back I love the times we all set aside our work to sing at the top of our lungs, chase our fluffy mascot Pepper around the office, rant about the newest celebrity gossip, and watch pointless yet hilarious YouTube videos.

Now, as I look back at these fond memories and let the sadness soak in, I realize that the dream isn’t over. In fact, the dream is ongoing. Life is unexpected, and no matter how hard we try to plan it out, things never really turn out how we envision. A year ago, I had no idea that I would discover so much enjoyment and enlightenment through my love of correcting other people’s grammar.

The song that seems more appropriate as I look forward to my future is the classic adventurers’ anthem from “The Lizzie McGuire Movie”: “Hey now, hey now, this is what dreams are made of!”

After graduation I will be heading overseas to try my hand at teaching English and fitting into the Italian lifestyle. Just as when I got the email from Hunter offering me the Copy Editor position, I feel nervous and excited about this post-grad opportunity. However, this time I know not to dive too deep into my preconceived notions. The truth will only be revealed once I’m there. The truth I learned from working at The USD Vista is that print may be dying, but journalism isn’t. I learned that work doesn’t seem like a task when you share an office with your closest friends.

Thank you to all the editors, assistant editors, and especially the executive team for giving me this space to learn and grow with you. Thank you to those who read The USD Vista, no matter how often. You have all made this experience a dream for me, one that I will carry with me through the rest of life’s unexpected adventures.