By Nate West
Opinion Editor
“But when his father told him on his eighteenth birthday that he needed to start planning his retirement, he felt his future tighten on him like an anaconda.”
That’s a line from Christopher Moore’s book Bloodsucking Fiends.
This is the place I’ve been for some time now, being a 21 year old thinking about life as a postgraduate. It’s tough to be excited about the next chapter of your life when the best one you’ve written is coming to a close. Right now the collective lives of the Class of 2015’s is when a season finale leaves you on a cliffhanger about the protagonist’s fate over the entire summer.
My entire Bonaventure career has existed within the walls of a Bonaventure newsroom. All the best parts of my freshman year took place in Robinson 111. That room was more of a home to me than any dorm room I lived in and I hope RC 5 becomes that home for all the new editors.
My career path was guided by every person I met down here in one way or another. Tyler, you made me want to be EIC, which was the best choice I ever made in four years here. Kyle, you kept me writing sports, which kept me at The BV and probably ultimately kept me at Bonaventure, so I owe you one next time we bump into each other downtown. Alexandra, Elizabeth, Kerri and Matt – you’re the original feats girls in my mind and I miss sharing Wednesday nights together. To the entire senior class of ’11-12, you guys showed me how much of a family a small group of people can become, just from spending a few Wednesday nights together.
A few special shout outs, starting with Sam Berkhead. We made it through a series of dark ages. Remember taking shots in your Dev room before the last week my freshman year? That was classic.
Taylor, we didn’t have any serious breakdowns, which is a W in my book. We should do the math about how long we’ve been in the newsroom combined. That would be shocking.
Emma, you’re not afraid to correct me, like when I thought you were a sophomore when you were actually a junior. Still my bad about that.
Kiara, my news protégé, I promoted you when you were a freshman and now we’re graduating together. Maybe someday I’ll have my life as together as you do now.
Pat, we’re out of here. Enjoy a Mets game when you get home. A day at the ballpark would be ideal after a semester in the newsroom.
Kev, thanks for showing me the ropes. You prepped me for UM better than any editor position.
Hemo, thanks for keeping spirits light during more than enough tense moments in Rob 111.
Em, I’m leaving opinion in your hands. I can’t wait to see what you’re able to do with it.
Amelia, The BV will do great things with you in charge. Put my subscription money to good use.
Harrison, the best move I made at Bonaventure was joining The BV and the best decision I made at The BV was making you my managing editor. Enjoy the hell out of Honduras.
To the editors who are at The BV now, it wasn’t the late nights or the skills you gained that made it memorable but the people who the time was shared (cliché but true). I hope The BV treats you as well as it did me.
By the time this is published on Friday, I’ll have already left the BV newsroom for my final time as an editor. I had an editor title for seven of my eight semesters as a student. The people I was fortunate enough to spend time with within these walls taught me things I couldn’t ever learn in a classroom and I owe them all dearly for that. The BV is the oxygen for my Bonaventure spirit. I hope every student finds something at Bona’s that becomes as important to them as The BV is for me.
It’s fitting I take until 5:30 on a Thursday morning to finish this piece. No place at Bona’s I’d rather be.
Nate West is the Opinion Editor at
The Bona Venture.
His email is westnl11@bonaventure.ed
