Writing this was harder than I thought it was going to be, and not just because I procrastinated it. At the Daily Utah Chronicle, the writing of a farewell signals the closing of a chapter, the end of an era. And while I’m oh so glad to finally have my silly little bachelor’s degree, I hate to have to say goodbye to all the amazing folks who make up the Chronicle. 

As a journalism student, the obvious thing to do was join the student newspaper. You come into it thinking about the stories you could write, the skills and experiences you’ll collect and how it’ll improve your resume for that coveted internship you want to apply for. These were all the apparent benefits I assumed I would find when I joined, and I was right. The experience I’ve gained here has laid down the foundation for what may be a future career in journalism if that’s where this life happens to lead me. 

But what I didn’t expect to find here was a community of hard-working, supportive, inspiring and caring student journalists who made my college experience the best it could be.  

At the Chronicle, I found a home. 

I transferred to the University of Utah from BYU-Hawaii on a whim in the middle of the pandemic. And while it was a lonely experience moving to a campus that was 10 times the size of my school and where I knew no one, I sincerely believe it was the best decision I have made. The Chronicle is a large part of that. 

A little over a year ago, I became the news editor for the Chronicle after being a news writer for about two semesters. At the time, I didn’t know what I was getting into or how this position would shape my senior year. I didn’t know that I and the assistant news editor, Andrew, would build a team of strong, talented writers who all strived to tell the stories of the campus and the broader Salt Lake City community. I didn’t know that this experience would lead me to internships that, when I began college, I thought I would never qualify for. I didn’t know I would find some of my favorite people through this newspaper.

And I didn’t know that what began as an effort to boost my resume would eventually become the most fulfilling experience of my college career. 

Student newspapers are an essential part of the campus community, and the Chronicle is no exception. This newspaper is literally created by the students, for the students — specifically, students who need a voice at a higher education institution that often falls short. And when you’re an editor, you have the opportunity to work side by side with writers as they try to chase and tell these stories. You get to watch them grow and achieve their goals, an experience that can’t be duplicated in a classroom.

The news desk has published important campus community stories this year on things like the campus police “rebranding,” the fight to open an Asian Cultural Center at the U, graduate students struggling with rising housing costs and so, so much more. I’m so immensely proud of every single person on the news team and the hard work they have put into this paper. We could have never done this without them.

In today’s world, we need more community. Journalists have the power and the ability to help build up communities, and that starts in the newsroom. And my hope is that, through the Chronicle, other students can find the same sense of community and belonging that I found here.

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@carlene_coombs