I was never a writer. I dreaded my English classes in high school. I didn’t think I was good at it, I thought it was boring, and I certainly didn’t understand what AP Style meant. 

If you had told me as a freshman that I’d one day be writing a farewell piece for my university’s newspaper, I would have laughed and run the other way. 

To me, writing was simply words on a piece of paper that you completed for a grade and then never looked at again. 

But then, of course, I met professor David Blow.

He’s a man who not only has the talent for storytelling, but also manages to choose the very best strawberries for our Sunday morning page designs. I’ll never get over them. 

He got me into journalism when I didn’t realize I needed it. The first class I took with him was only to fulfill a requirement, but instead, it changed the direction of my college experience. He showed me that writing can be more than just words on paper.

I first learned about The Castleton Spartan late in my freshman year. At the time, I didn’t see myself as a journalist. When Dave mentioned it to me, I didn’t take it very seriously. I figured I’d maybe write a story or two and keep to the background. But that changed quickly when Dave saw a writing voice in me.

By my sophomore and junior years, I had become invested. I began taking on additional responsibilities, such as editing, page design, and page placement, as well as asking more questions. I gradually realized that this wasn’t simply a campus club or something for my resume, but much more. This paper, and the people in it, were some of the most significant parts of my college experience. I started to find excitement in the stories we would put out and all the deadlines. 

I’ve covered stories that took me to parts of campus I wouldn’t have seen otherwise. While doing this, I realized that journalism is more than just reporting facts, it’s about getting the privilege to tell other people’s stories.

I even got the chance, twice, to head to New York City for the College Media Association conference. The Spartan placed Best College Newspaper for Division III two years in a row, which made up for all the sleep deprivation in NYC.

To Joe, Stone, Em, Gabby, Jess, Pearl — thank you. It’s hard to put into words how thankful I am to have gotten to be a part of such a wonderful team, which is ironic because putting things into words is my job.

The Spartan did more than simply improve my writing skills. It helped me become a better person. More confident, more interested, and with a much greater understanding of storytelling. 

As I write this and sign off one last time, I do so with a lot of gratitude. I’m thankful for every story I got to tell and every person I got to work alongside.

Thanks for everything, Spartan. I’ll miss you.

– Maddie Lindgren

Spartan Managing Editor