The Quinnipiac Chronicle wasn’t the first publication I joined on campus, but that doesn’t mean I’m not grateful to be a member of the team.

When I was a first-year student I ironically joined the satire publication, The Quinnipiac Barnacle. Even though that’s not the best move as a journalism major – that didn’t stop me. However, my membership was brief when COVID-19 killed the organization.

One thing that was drilled into my head when I came to Quinnipiac University is that I need some sort of portfolio to show to future employers. I’m sure recruiters wouldn’t care for my practice press releases from COM-140, so during my sophomore year I put my free time into another organization – The Quinnipiac Chronicle.

As soon as I joined, I realized anything is possible at the Chronicle.

If I’m being honest, I’m not the type of girl who is itching to break news or cover a sports event — however, I did want to write about pop culture, so I joined the Arts & Life breakout room on Zoom when general meetings were held virtually. Before I knew it, I wrote my first article about the Kardashian family and I never left.

My first few articles were focused on entertainment, whether it was about Adam Sandler or Frankie Jonas becoming viral on TikTok. If you told me Calvin Harris would block me on Twitter over an album review back then, I wouldn’t believe you. Eventually, I found what I love to write about: featuring amazing people on campus and sex columns.

There was nothing more rewarding to me than giving someone an outlet to tell their story. During my first year in Chronicle, I had the opportunity to feature now Quinnipiac Democrats president Paul Cappuzzo and his YouTube show, “The Paulitics Show.”

Flash forward to my senior year, I spent some time writing about organizations on campus like the Quinnipiac Pep Band or the Women’s Health Organization – putting a spotlight on organizations that build a community.

If there are two pieces that were prominent to my Chronicle career it is “Size, does it matter?” and “Post-nut clarity’s dreadful aftermath” – because listen, I get it, no one wants to discuss a penis and the effect of its fluids. That’s alright. But the Chronicle allowed me to break barriers and write about topics that are on people’s minds but are never discussed at the dinner table. This publication allowed me to use my voice and represent who I am as a writer and I’m thankful for never being limited in my ideas.

The Chronicle is also responsible for giving me back my first love when I came to campus – The Barnacle.

During my junior year, I missed writing satire so much that I would talk about Barnacle as if it was an ex that broke my heart. Thankfully, the then-Editor-in-Chief Michael Sicoli and Arts & Life editor Ashley Pelletier gave me the opportunity to introduce a satirical column to the Chronicle. Man, it was hit. All of sudden, Quinnipiac had an outdoor residence facility, a women’s swim team and a nightclub at an administrator’s home.

During my spring semester of junior year, I was sent an email from the last Barnacle Editor-in-Chief Claire Gregg with the keys to the kingdom and a month later, the Barnacle was a revived organization on campus. However, this could not have been possible without the support of my co-editors at the Chronicle. Opinion Editor Michael LaRocca joined my executive board at the Barnacle and I passed my role down to Sports Editor Ethan Hurwitz.

I am forever thankful for the past Arts & Life editors Emily DiSalvo and Ashley Pelletier who have guided me into this position. Being a part of Arts & Life is not a one-person job and every semester being in Chronicle would not be possible without my co-editor David Matos. I am grateful for the time I’ve worked with him and I know I have a best friend for life. The future is bright for the section with the leadership of Zoe Leone and Jacklyn Pellegrino – I know Arts & Life will continue to evolve with their creativity.

My experience at the Chronicle would not have been as enjoyable without the people I work with. Whether it is a group chat with the sports editors asking what they ate on their trip covering a game or learning if it’s worth waiting in line at a food truck on campus with my co-editors, I wouldn’t trade the stress and exhaustion for anything.