Michael J. Clarke

In the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, I committed to Suffolk University, knowing that the classroom and my college experience would be shaped by Zoom and social distancing.

Fresh out of high school, I wanted to be a writer, a lawyer, a doctor and about 20 other professions depending on the day. With four years of college ahead of me, I couldn’t see a clear path ahead.

Now, just a few weeks from graduation, I’ve found a passion for democracy and journalism; and with that, a home on the ninth floor of Sawyer.

The Suffolk Journal was the first organization I joined my freshman year, alongside running to be a Student Government Organization Senator for the class of 2024. I was quiet in our Zoom pitch meetings, often nervous to take a story and in awe of the writers and editors I watched tackle campus news each week.

Eventually, I fumbled through my first story — a feature on what Suffolk students thought of then-presidential nominee Joe Biden — and now writing my final piece, I smile at thinking how far I’ve come.

The class of 2024 has seen Suffolk’s campus in a time of loneliness, with academic buildings and dorms feeling more like a ghost town than a community. We’ve watched it come alive since 2020, with students returning to campus and masks eventually worn less frequently, or not at all. Suffolk’s resilience became the core of my student experience, and despite the challenges brought on by the pandemic, I am grateful for the community I found in the end. 

From faculty and staff to fellow students, Suffolk enveloped me in ambition, creativity and empathy. Writing about our campus not only gave me a passion for news, it also tied me closer to the university.

For the past four years, I’ve spent my Tuesday nights in the Journal office on the ninth floor of Sawyer. From writing breaking news and crafting election coverage to designing the front page of the newspaper, the office has seen my smile, heard my laughter and felt my innate sense of belonging since the start of my Journal journey.

Community is what holds us together. Across the United States, students on college campuses continue to recover from the isolation of the pandemic while grappling with growing up in a world of violence. 

Now more than ever, student journalists play a key role in maintaining a thriving democracy. Now more than ever, we need to see student journalists as what they are: journalists.

As newspapers nationwide are forced to close, college news outlets fill the much-needed gap in the industry. On campus, a student reporter knows the community better than almost anyone and has a vested interest in the betterment of the campus.

My time at The Suffolk Journal has taught me the value of community and has shown me time and time again the impact of journalism. From diversity issues in the Athletic Department to the future of the Black Studies program and to the ongoing debate over arming the Suffolk police, my time at The Journal has been shaped by covering what matters to our community.

While saying goodbye to The Journal and the Suffolk community is difficult, I am excited to see what comes next. For me, it means stepping into the world wholly changed from who I was four years ago. For the paper, it means new adventures under new leadership.

I will always hold the title of student journalist close to my heart, and hold the memories of Suffolk even closer. As the graduation stage becomes clearer on the horizon, I am eternally grateful for the adventures I’ve had at Suffolk and all the friends I’ve made along the way. 

While the future isn’t certain, I know for a fact that part of me will always have a home at Suffolk. I will always call myself a Ram.