It’s hard for me to grasp that this is the last piece I’ll contribute to the Chronicle, that this wonderful experience is coming to an end. I’ve thought a lot about what I would write for my farewell piece, the people I would thank and the memories I would reminisce about. These last two years I’ve spent with the Chronicle have been some of the most rewarding and challenging in my college career, and I’ve loved every second of it. 

The funny thing is, never in my wildest dreams would I have imagined that I would’ve become a journalist — or an editor. I came to the University of Utah as a scared freshman, unsure of what I wanted to do with my life. I bounced around from major to major — from political science to economics, film and chemistry (I was weeded out real quick by Gen Chem I) — for the first year and a half of college. It wasn’t until I took an introductory course for journalism that I decided that this was what I wanted to do.

In hindsight, journalism was something that I had always wanted to do, but I just didn’t know how to actually do it. Growing up, I’d always loved writing and the arts — I was the type of kid that would get more excited about new movies and music to be released than for Christmas. I took a chance the summer before junior year and applied to write for the arts desk.

Joining the arts desk has been a dream come true in more ways than one. I’ve truly had the most amazing experiences — from interviewing Jesse McCartney and Lee Isaac Chung to connecting with radio DJ Zane Lowe and getting to experience the Sundance Film Festival as press. But my favorite part of this experience has been the people I’ve worked with and the friendships formed.

I want to thank my former editor and mentor, Palak Jayswal, for teaching me everything that I know, pushing me to be a better writer and always believing in me. 

Thank you to the arts desk writers this year — Kate Button, Cade Anderson, Jacqueline Mumford, Hannah Keating, Heather Graham, Paige Gardner, Brianna Fuller and Luke Jackson — I’m so incredibly proud of the work you all produced throughout this year, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to learn from you as your editor. Starting a leadership position in the middle of a pandemic was a big learning curve, and I couldn’t have done it without all of you — and your patience.

Finally, a big thank you to my assistant editor, Parker Dunn, for literally everything. Thank you for your friendship, the countless laughs and all the work you’ve put into making the arts desk better. Leading the arts desk with you has been so much fun, a highlight of my senior year.

I’m not quite sure what the future holds for me, whether it’s in journalism or not. But wherever I end up, this experience and the people will always hold a special place in my heart.

Goodbye Chrony, I’ll miss you.

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@oakley_burt