I’ve been at this newspaper for two years now and I’ve never written once for this paper. My job as the photo editor is coming to an end here at The Medium, and my, what a ride it was. This job has opened me up mentally to a new world. I’ve learned about what it takes to be both a photojournalist and a journalist. Man, I have 227 credits to my name. But that’s not why I’m writing this. I figured it was time to end my year as a photojournalist by doing some actual writing. This will be my first ever op-ed, but it won’t be about anything specific; I have my arguments for a lot of things, but this won’t be an argument on anything. I want to just write.
Sometimes, I think we at The Medium just forget to write. And I’m 100 percent guilty. I really only got into writing a few months ago. I figured that I may as well organize the disarray of emotions and thoughts swirling in my head and put it on paper. You know, sometimes it makes things that seem bad a lot better.
Where am I going with this? I think what I want to say is that sometimes we tend to forget how much we as individuals can grow in a short amount of time. Not just physically, but as people. And that’s what I feel right now. Even with my own personal shortcomings, I’ve still been able to squeeze through and become better at what I do in this life. What we do here at The Medium is all about growing. We as an organization can’t grow without you, the reader. We as The Medium staff can’t grow without the teamwork and love that we give one another. We only continue to grow because of the work that we put in for the readers of our university. Whether you’re a first-year student, my father, or Deep Saini reading, we grow and grow and grow, and we become an organization that is more than just spewing out news—we become an organization that aims to inform and connect with our university. So, to the first-year who still doesn’t know that we exist, or to the profs who read us and critique the hell out of us, just know that we will always be here, to not only hold up our mandate as a newspaper, but to also ensure that we’re the greatest damn student paper out there. We still live. We still inform. We still grow. We still write.
So, Mahmoud, when you read this in the future, do a few things: 1. Don’t cringe at your writing skills or at the whole cheesy sentimental crap you wrote. 2. Just look back at the time you wrote this and remember, you grew. Keep doing it.
So, editor, this is my first ever op-ed. Before I sign off, thank you. Thank you everyone at The Medium for doing what you did this year to make The Medium have probably one of the most fantastic years it’s seen so far. You all helped me become who I am today. Whether you’re leaving this year or coming back, never forget what you did here at The Medium. You wrote your fricking hearts out.
Well, as for me, I photographed my heart out.
Mahmoud Sarouji
Photo Editor
