Bittersweet seems to be the best word to hold on to when it comes time for transitions. Mourning the loss of what is familiar and present with an element of joy and excitement for what the future has to offer. Graduation has just passed, people are dispersed and the summer begins — transition.
I have thoroughly enjoyed my time serving The Witmarsum, my career beginning as a videographer and convergent journalist and ending as the managing editor. My experience has been so much more than a job title and job description. I have learned about people, writing, leading and how much I love the Bluffton University community. The Wit has reinforced my curiosity about how things function and taught me to be inquisitive. It has strengthened my desire to tell stories and learn more about people.
At the beginning of the semester, our goal was to facilitate conversations and seek individual growth in the context of community. I believe that this team has accomplished this goal by producing content that reflected on some of the university’s history, shared in the stories of students, faculty and staff and also covering difficult topics on burn-out and sexual assault.
I am so proud of this team for accomplishing these goals and for producing the amount of content we did. The Wit published over 70 articles and BeaverDam podcasts; no small feat for a COVID-19 semester and course work. The radio station also stayed busy and full of students talking on the air.
As summer begins, I want to remind everyone to find ways to rest and find joy in the sunshine before rushing back into a busy schedule. Change has a tendency to happen whether we want it to or not, and I have learned that it is important not to lose who we are amid those changes.
As I say farewell, I’ll transition into a new way of supporting The Wit by continuing to read, share and listen, and I hope you will, too.
Thank you for a wonderful semester.
Sincerely,
Olivia
Olivia Tennefoss is a 2021 alumna with a major in convergent media. She served as managing editor for the Spring 2021 semester.
