PHOTO CREDIT: Maddie Bataille| Photo Editor
Never in a million years would I have thought I’d be writing a goodbye column for a college newspaper, let alone be on the executive board of one. I’m not sure if I’m the first business manager of the Good Five Cent Cigar to be writing one of these, but I’ll gladly take that honor.
Let me introduce myself. My name is Jenny Kang, and I’m a senior graduating this fall with a bachelor’s in health studies and minors in both business and public relations. As you can tell, my areas of study have absolutely no correlation to being involved with a college newspaper. I was never interested in writing, and quite frankly, I’m struggling to write this. You’re probably wondering, “How did you get involved with the Cigar?”
The position of business manager has always been the role that many tend to look over. It’s a job that always needs to be filled by an outside source because many who join the Cigar join to write, not to complete financial paperwork. This particular role fell onto my lap during the fall semester of my junior year when my previous roommate and first friend here at URI, Madeline Bataille, our lovely photo editor, informed me that the Good Five Cent Cigar desperately needed a business manager.
Of course, this intrigued me. At the time, I was finishing up my business minor, and they needed a business manager. The fact that my minor and this role were related by subject matter made me totally think I was qualified for the position and that I wouldn’t have to write!
Since I dislike writing, you’re most likely questioning why I’m writing a goodbye column. Well, there are several reasons.
First, I want to thank Madeline for roping me into this role that I’ve come to appreciate, even though initially I was somewhat hesitant. If it wasn’t for her, I would have never met the wonderful staff in the Cigar and learned the financial skills of running an organization which will be applicable to my future career goals.
Speaking of the staff, I want to thank Jason Phillips (our lovely Editor-in-Chief) for welcoming me with open arms into an organization I had absolutely no knowledge of while also stepping into a role I had no experience in. He always matched my energy regardless of what train wreck of emotions I was going through as a typical college student.
I also want to thank Adam Zangari (our lovely managing editor), whom I’ve known since elementary school. Even though we didn’t talk much growing up, I appreciate that we had gotten closer after graduating high school because of the Cigar.
Most importantly, I want to thank everyone in the Cigar for being some of the kindest people I’ve ever met, even though you’d occasionally only see me in the office if I was completing paperwork and continuously validating my position as the “backbone” of the Cigar.
While I have no intention of ever freely writing on my own will in this manner in the future, I appreciate what I learned from being the business manager for the Good Five Cent Cigar. The Cigar has shown me that there are different ways to be involved in an organization regardless of what it primarily comes off as to the public eye. I am absolutely grateful to have the Cigar be a part of my college experience and will always treasure the relationships I have built from being in this organization.