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Opinion
 

Staff Editorial

                 Matt Dulin                         Lourdes Castillo      James Davis
                Tina Marie Macias          Dusti Rhodes            Blake Whitaker

Editor ponders legacy at the end of his term

By the end of the week, I'll have moved out of my office here in Room 160 Communication Building, closing the door on two years of editing the best college newspaper in the world. I'm handing the reins to Zach Lee, who will carry on the proud tradition that is The Daily Cougar.

I sit back and wonder now what it is I've accomplished, if anything, in a tenure that spans 320-or-so issues. I wonder if I ever attained the state of perfection I sought when I began this grueling job. Increasingly, I'm assured I fell short, though that's not to say I was unsuccessful. The Cougar garnered a refreshing spate of awards under my watch, including an impressive distinction from the Associated Collegiate Press. What I'd rather have, instead of those framed certificates and plaques, is the knowledge that I did well and that somehow, the community benefited. Mainly I want to know that I did something other than fill my résumé. 

I started working here because I was drawn to the paper and the people who worked here. Then, I just wanted to write. And edit. And design. The only way I could do all of those things was to become editor in chief. So I did, as quickly as I could. And now that I've had my fill -- I just want a short break so I can go back and write. And edit. And design. I'll cut back a little bit; I do want to graduate, after all.

Speaking of which, a message to every professor I've had in the last two years: I'm sorry. I'm not that bad of a student, really. I wasn't skipping class because I didn't enjoy the lectures. It's because I was living off of only a handful of hours of sleep. Thanks for your kindness, but also thanks for being hard on me. Plenty of students on this campus have it harder than me -- they're taking more classes, working more hours and raising families. I just had to worry about running a daily news operation.

But not anymore. There are a great many people I'd like to thank, but in the interests of space and your attention span, I'll only say that I am eternally grateful for those who have helped me, whether it was with encouraging words or harsh criticism. I also thank you kind folks who read the paper.

I don't know for sure if I did anything for the paper, but I know for sure the paper did a lot for me. 

-- Matt Dulin, editor in chief, 
Spring 2004 - Fall 2005