The Last First and the First Last

I texted my mom tonight:
"Last Reporter article
[for the school year] is in.
I'm not quite sure how I
feel about that."

Her response:
"sad bitter sweet old
grown up excited looking
forward to the future?"

"Yeah. That." I answered.

It's a bitter sweet moment for me certainly. Though I only worked at The Reporter for the past year I grew so much as a person. I developed a writing style all my own. I learned about working in an office. I made mistakes, I learned from them, and I worked with an editor who always was there to help. Lately, people have also been recognizing my name from the paper, which has been really cool.

You see, The Reporter is the first paper I have ever worked for. Truly the only legitimate media experience I've had was here. My first byline, my first front page, my first story, my first beat have all been here. I picked Journalism going into college because I had gotten a taste of it in high school when I worked on my school's yearbook during fall semester my senior year and absolutely fell in love with it. The people I met, the stories I was told, the pieces I wrote, taught me more about my high school and the people in it than during my whole four years I was there. The same is true for The Reporter. Though it took me longer to get up the nerve to apply than most people, I'm so glad I did.

Covering events, covering the whole gamut of the University including: Take Back the Night, A Vandalized Snow Sculpture, The Ballroom Renovation, A Blood Drive, various speakers and programs.

Covering community events and organizations: The Southern Minnesota Wedding Expo, Habitat for Humanity, The Apology Day party at the Best Western. Just to name a few.

Covering the MSSA beat, MSU's version of a student council, though some people probably think it's the most boring job on the planet, was completely fascinating to me. Though I grumbled about the meetings some days, seeing things--politics, the inner-workings of the administration, The role of MSSA in the University, referendums passed by the students and vetoed by the President, relationships built with the city--while they're unfolding from an "outsider's" perspective was so interesting to me. Seeing the interaction between people and getting to understand more about this organization was, for lack of a better word, exciting. Yes, I admit once again that I am a complete and total nerd.

42 articles. 18 weeks. Two issues a week. Clips are great and important, the producer is only as good as the product, but what I'll take away from the experience is the people I met and the things I learned while I was there.

Here's to experience, lessons, and learning.
Here's to a future unknown, but exciting all the same.
Cheers!

Until Next Time,
Avery Cropp

Relay for Life

We all know someone who has been touched by cancer in some way. I personally know at least seven people who have battled, survived, or lost their lives against this horrible disease. Sadly, I'm sure that I've forgotten some people in that count, which has given me all the more reason to fight back.

As a girl I know from a project I participated in years ago, Stephanie Olson, stated during a section called "I relay because..." where the mic is open to anyone who would like to speak said, after listing off all the of the people in her family that have had cancer, "It's just not fair."

Thankfully, there is an international event called Relay for Life. It's goal is to get people to fundraise money for cancer research. It has been held at my college for a number of years, and I have participated the last two years. This year I teamed up with Habitat for Humanity and my roommate's Pre-Dental club. It is a twelve-hour event. Ours went from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. because the catch phrase of Colleges Against Cancer, the Student Organization in charge of this event, and the American Cancer Society is: "Cancer doesn't sleep and neither should we." I just woke up, a couple of hours ago after getting back at 6:15 this morning.

There are no words to describe the power that this event holds for those who participate in it. During the event people are encouraged to decorate Luminaria Bags in memory of those who have died or in honor of those who have battled cancer. It took place in Myers Field House on my campus and every inch of that track had a bag on the edge.

During the "I relay because..." section, the most moving part of the whole event in my opinion, after people share their stories, and after all the lights are shut off in the field house we were handed glow sticks. Colleges against Cancer then told everyone who was a survivor to crack their glow sticks a few people cracked them. Then they went on to say if you have a family member who has battled cancer, please crack your glow sticks about half of the people cracked them. Finally they said, if you have a friend who has battled cancer please crack your glow sticks. Every single one was lit.

We were instructed to go and place our glow sticks in a bag. I put mine in one of my own losses, my second grade teacher Mrs. J, luminaria bag. We did a lap in silence to honor the memory of those who we had lost. You don't go too long without hearing at least one person crying as you pass them. After about five minutes we were told to celebrate the survivors to the tune of "Celebration" and dance around the track.

Fundraising for ACS goes throughout the night at food stations, craft stations, and other stations that are set up by the participating teams. Colleges Against Cancer organized many events to keep the energy up throughout the night.

At the end of the night there is a section called messages to heaven where you write a note on a strip of paper to someone you've lost, fold it up, put it in a balloon and let it fly.

Then the grand total is announced after the top teams are announced.
The Grand total for this year's Relay for Life: $36,042 and some odd cents going to cancer research, just from MSU....whoever said one place or person can't make a difference was dead wrong.

Until next time,
Avery