Writing has always been an important part of my life and, ultimately, what I’d like to be doing for the rest of it. It’s what led me to take Journalism classes last year and become a practicum student at The Clarion. I’d never written anything for a school newspaper and that, in itself, completely intimidated me.

Enjoying writing and actually being good at it, lie on two opposite sides of the spectrum, and I wasn’t quite sure where I landed.

Thankfully enough, Clarion Advisor Doug Kirchberg, and many other members on that year’s staff, encouraged me to pursue being a staff writer. As the year passed, I gained more understanding about the running of The Clarion and grew more comfortable in my writing for it.

As this year commenced, Kirchberg approached me about becoming the new opinions editor. I’ve always been one to say how important it is to have strong opinions — that’s how we can show our values and standings as people — so it felt like a good fit. My love for writing grew from getting to create my own stories, and now I get to share other’s stories through it, as well.

Being an editor holds more responsibility than what I had been used to when I was just a staff writer. It’s incredibly informative assisting others — and hopefully helping them succeed — in their work. It helps me look at my work in a different light. The more pieces I write and edit, the more experience I gain.

Writing articles that will be distributed to a large public, especially with opinion, makes my viewpoint on certain subject matters that much sharper.

I hope that this year’s opinion section is full of content that is interesting to all students and faculty at Madison College, but also has strong arguments that justify the viewpoints discussed. Writing the counter arguments in articles can help anyone stand more firmly with their view, or maybe even adjust it.

That’s why it’s so important to know where you are on topics and have your opinions rooted in facts, so if the time ever arises you can back up whatever you’re claiming.

Writing being something I thoroughly take pleasure in doing, I’m very excited to take all the world’s potential topics and construct them into informative opinion articles. With other great editors and writers on staff, I’m sure there will be a multitude of diverse pieces covering the opinion section.