As graduation approaches, I cannot help but reminisce about my time at The Ticker, for it has been a long journey that began my freshman year. It was by no means an easy quest, full of difficulty, heartache and burnout, but it was nonetheless a meaningful one.

When I joined The Ticker, my goal was to practice writing; however, I was soon offered the position of opinions editor that led to my current position as a production assistant. That is when I truly became a part of The Ticker and befriended the other staff. I felt as though I was part of a community as we went on team-building trips or saw late-night movies together — it was quite a euphoric experience for a former loner such as myself.

It is still a mystery as to how we found the time to produce a weekly newspaper while trying to balance the responsibilities that come with being a student. It is quite a daunting task if you think about it and I am proud of my community for successfully doing so.
The Ticker is an environment full of many different characters — some whom you get along with and some whom you may not. Regardless, everyone has formed a bond with one another despite our differences which may just be because we had to spend most of our free time together.

After leaving Baruch College, I am not going to remember how I performed each semester or what my GPA was. Instead, I am going to remember the memories I made with my peers and with those I surrounded myself with and, in my case, those people are mostly Ticker people. I am going to remember the invigorating debates we had about the Oxford comma or how excited we were covering CUNY news.

From my experience at The Ticker, I did indeed accomplish my initial goal: I did become a better writer — not perfect, but better. Additionally, I also made some good friends who are not to be taken for granted. In fact, it might be what I am most grateful for from my time at Baruch.

Ultimately, I learned how to be a team player, how to thrive in adverse situations and, most importantly, how to properly use the oxford comma.

The Ticker has been around for 80-some years and I have no doubt it will continue to thrive and evolve. The future seems a bit hazy due to the wrench that is COVID-19, but as new students are admitted I hope they find some meaning and purpose in joining The Ticker.

Each experience will be unique, but The Ticker consistently molds you into a person that can overcome challenges and adversity. Please join. We need copyeditors.