As my time at St. Bonaventure comes to a close, it’s hard for me to reminisce without bringing up The Bona Venture. Since my first week on this campus, I have been involved with this publication, and I’m unbelievably proud of how much it has progressed in my brief time here.
I remember being undeniably nervous the first time I stepped into the old, dingy newsroom in Robinson Hall. There were superfluous posters and quotes plastered over the walls. The furniture in the back was decrepit and spewing stuffing out of multiple holes. But still, that room and the people interviewing me overwhelmed me with anxiety.
Despite my initial qualms about writing for The Bona Venture, the staff at that time welcomed me as one of their own. I remember the first time I went to BV Wednesday and sat through a whole night of editing stories and laying pages. I had so much fun that I decided then I would interview for the Assistant Sports Editor position that would be open at the end of the semester. That moment was when I found a safe haven for myself for the next four years.
After an abrupt relocation to the Reilly Center basement (I had just gotten used to that room in Rob?) and a promotion to Sports Editor, I really began to enjoy The Bona Venture more. I started to look forward to Wednesday nights so I could go throw around a Nerf football while trying to do a layout for three pages. I was taking on three to four stories a week, partly due to a lack in writers, but I didn’t mind the extra work because I got to see multiple bylines featuring my name.
The newsroom served as my study room, dining hall and bedroom. I can’t count the amount of times I snuck down to the Reilly Center basement after a late night at the BV just to take a quick nap on the new and not hole-riddled couch or devour a quick wrap from the RC Café while finishing my pages.
Despite those awesome benefits, The Bona Venture is not just about publishing a newspaper every week. The people are truly what make it such a great activity to do on campus. I’ve developed great friendships with editors past and present, and for that reason, I would suggest being a part of the BV to anyone here. The nights are late, and Adobe InDesign never seems to work the way you want it to. But in the end, it’s about fun people listening to 90’s pop music and staying up to 5 a.m. developing strong caffeine addictions together. It’s about going to La Verna to get giant cookies and brownies so you don’t wither away while waiting for everyone’s stories to be submitted.
The Bona Venture has garnered more and more interest from inspiring writers every year since I’ve been here, and that excites me for the future of the publication. While print journalism may be falling to the wayside, the BV has maintained a strong presence on campus and will continue to deliver important news to our students for many years to come.
I would like to thank all of the editors and writers I have ever worked with throughout my BV career. There’s definitely way too many to list, but I’ve very much enjoyed my time on The Bona Venture staff. Some of my favorite memories from college are undoubtedly in the newsroom, and I’m glad to have had the opportunity to do so many interesting things and work with so many brilliant people.
Zach Waltz is an Associate Editor forThe Bona Venture. His email is waltzzd12@bonaventure.edu
