Last night, I graduated, which means that my time here at the Clarion has drawn to a close. After six years and two degrees, I feel like I accomplished a lot here. When I started, I learned on the fly and was putting together the paper in my first week. Over the years, I mostly remained a graphic designer, but eventually transitioned to writing as a reporter as well. I maintained that for a long time, designing and writing as needed, with my main focus still on the graphic designer part of my job. Then, finally, in 2021 I was asked to be the Creative Director.
I’d always wanted to be the Creative Director, and while I can’t speak for others, it was always a personal goal of mine from day one. I looked up to the previous ones before me, learning both what to do and what not to do. I made mental notes for if I ever got the role, noting the things they’d done that I wanted to do, and the things they did that I thought needed to change.
Summer 2021 rolled around and it was clear we wouldn’t have an Executive Editor, so I was offered that position as well. I took it, and I’m not for certain but I might have been the only person to hold two high positions like that at the same time. It was an honor, and only a little bit chaotic. However, I wouldn’t have traded it for the world. It was one of the best learning experiences I’ve had.
Having such a long history with The Clarion means that I’ve met and worked with a lot of people. Each of them will have its place in my memories and some I still stay in touch with. I feel that I made lifelong friends with a few of them and I hope that is the case. For my current coworkers, I want to say that I’ve had the time of my life working with you, and while it hasn’t always been easy, and we haven’t always seen eye to eye, I’ve loved getting to know each and every one of you and your unique perspectives in life.
To Harley Johnson and Rachel Rosen, my fellow editors, it’s been wonderful working with you. I’ve gotten to know you both so much better over the course of the semesters that we’ve been together and I feel like while we may have started rough, we came together as a team and got things done. Look at all we accomplished while here!
To the designers, I got an experience that I don’t think many other Creative Directors have gotten. I got to lead you first, and then spend a semester seeing how that shaped what you did. Honestly, though, I have to say that while I tried to teach you all things you didn’t know, you taught me several things in the end. I can say that this felt more like a partnership than me leading a group, and I think we were better for it. We came together in a time when everything was confusing and we hadn’t done a physical version in a year and managed to craft and create a beautiful magazine.
Finally, I want to direct my words to Jessica Graue, or as we called her, Jess. You’ve been the best advisor I’ve known and I’ve grown to be a stronger writer and person under your direction. You have helped the Clarion to grow and to become what it is today, and I can’t wait to keep following along with everything you all do. As six years draw to a close, I want to say that this isn’t goodbye, because those are final and permanent. This is more ‘see you later. So, with that said, see you later Clarion crew. Keep doing amazing things.
Jeri Hensley
Managing Editor