Editor-in-Chief
This is bittersweet for me to be writing because this is the last issue of The DrumBeat I will be a part of.
I have absolutely loved my time in The DrumBeat. I went from entertainment editor to news editor, and now I’m ending as the editor-in-chief of The DrumBeat.
The DrumBeat has provided me with many learning opportunities. I learned how to refine my writing and interview sources, and I learned self-confidence. It’s not easy to go up to a person and just come up with questions to say to them, but that’s what we have to do sometimes. Through The DrumBeat I learned how to do this. As a result, it built my confidence. It built my confidence because interviewing helped me get comfortable around people I didn’t know.
Additionally, The DrumBeat taught me responsibility and leadership. In The DrumBeat we have deadlines we have to meet, so I had to make sure I was meeting them. One way I did that was by making it a point to write my stories and get my tasks done. As for leadership, the editor-in-chief is responsible for running the meeting. At first, I was a little nervous to do this, but after two or so meetings I got the hang of it.
Another thing I am grateful for is all of the friends I have made in The DrumBeat. It sounds cliché, but when I first came to college, I had one friend. That was until I got involved. Involvement is a great way to meet like-minded people and people who share your passions. Everyone in The DrumBeat wants to do something in the media world, so it’s nice to have that support system. They help you, and you help them.
Moreover, I feel like I’ve made a lifetime of memories, and it’s hard to choose a favorite. However, if I had to choose it would be when we all piled in a hotel room at one of our competitions and talked about anything and everything. We stayed up until 5 a.m. and we had to get up at 8 a.m. We were all exhausted, but that night was so worth it. I learned so much about everyone I was in The DrumBeat with, and it was really cool to hear everyone’s story.
While there have been so many great things in The DrumBeat, there’s one thing that sticks out the most. The DrumBeat gave me an outlet to use my voice. My only goal with my writing is to reach at least one person, and I feel as though I did that. I had written an article about something traumatic that happened to me, and I just learned recently that it touched a lot of people. Being a part of The DrumBeat made me feel heard. To me, that’s worth all the late nights, long production days and the stress of balancing school, The DrumBeat and work.
I’m very thankful for the opportunity to have been in The DrumBeat and for the people I have met while in it. My only regret is that I didn’t join the DrumBeat sooner.
Marissa Krnavek, editor-in-chief, out.