The spring semester is coming to an end, and here at The Journal, we’re feeling bittersweet. Don’t get us wrong, we’re extremely excited that the school year is almost over and new things are yet to come, but we’re also a bit saddened by the changes the end of a school year bring.

I’ve served as opinion editor for the past year, and I can honestly say that joining The Suffolk Journal staff has been one of the best things I’ve ever decided to do. I started contributing to The Journal last year, my junior year, and looking back, I know that I missed out. I’m a journalism major for God’s sakes! What was I doing my freshman and sophomore year when I wasn’t writing for The Journal? I can’t dwell on my regrets over not joining the staff sooner, but I can do something to ensure that my fellow writers and editors have a fantastic year at The Journal next year: I can try to convince you, dear reader, to take a chance and contribute to the newspaper.

This year, our editorial staff and writers have been great, every Tuesday production night has been filled with great conversation and lots of laughter, and The Journal won an award at the Associated Collegiate Press Conference in L.A. We’ve had our bad moments and we stress out sometimes, but we’re taking nothing but good things from this past year—at least I am.

I encourage you to be a part of The Suffolk Journal— journalism student or not. Do it for your own selfish reasons if you don’t want to write for the purpose of informing the Suffolk community. Do it because it’s fun and you’re doing something meaningful.  Do it because you want people to know your name. Do it for all the wrong reasons if you want, but at least give it a try. It took me long enough  to try, and now it’s over. But every Tuesday has been my favorite day of the week for the past year. So thank you editors, thank you writers, and thank you Bruce for getting me to try. If I can dig it, you can too!