I never wanted to be a writer.
At least, that’s what I told myself constantly when heading into my first year at the University of Rhode Island. I always wanted to be a sports broadcaster. I wanted to be on air. I wanted people to hear my voice. That was my dream.
Funnily enough, although the majority of my time here has been spent stressing over the small details of this silly little student paper, The Good Five Cent Cigar was the sole reason I accomplished that dream. The very thing I sought to avoid as a ‘distraction’ from my goals ended up being the one that opened the most doors – without it, I wouldn’t be anywhere near where I am today.
That’s what’s so powerful about the musty old office in the basement of the Memorial Union. From the first time I walked in the doors more than three years ago as an apprehensive contributor, I was hooked. Through the constant stress and demanding workload, for some reason, I kept coming back.
I told myself I’d never run for an editorial position – it was too much. Then, I spent two semesters as sports editor.
I was done after that, for real this time. I had given all there was to give, or so I thought. But then I spent two semesters as managing editor. And I have no regrets.
My first thank you goes out to the man who is the reason I kept coming back: Aniekan Okon. I was so scared during my first meeting that I almost turned around and left. I’m eternally grateful that I didn’t. That day, I met one of the most hardworking and passionate men I’ve ever come across in my four years at URI. As the sports editor at the time, he taught me so much, and never seemed to get frustrated. That’s something I wish I could say about myself. We ended up driving almost 1,500 miles in one week together in my dinky little Ford Fiesta to cover basketball tournaments in Wilmington, Delaware and Brooklyn, New York. That was pretty fun. I initially ran for sports editor because of the impact Aniekan had on me.
Then, there’s the guys that have been by my side since my days living in Butterfield Hall freshman year: Aidan Garvey and Zack Petrick. We’ve laughed, struggled, argued and stressed through everything together for three years and counting, and I don’t think I’ve ever been a part of a friend group that constantly pushes each other to be better everyday in the way that those two have done for me. Together, I could not be more proud of the imprint that we have left on the sports media fabric at URI.
Finally, there’s Lauren Drapeau. I have had the privilege of watching Lauren grow as a leader, a person and a friend over the last two years I’ve known her, and it has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life to work alongside someone who is so passionate about learning and teaching others. Whether she knows it or not, Lauren constantly reminds me why I joined this newspaper in the first place. From our time together as editors to our partnership as leaders, she continually keeps me on my toes and pushes me to be better. Lauren has done more for this paper than I could ever put into words. I’m just so grateful to have been there to watch it happen.
To everyone on past and present e-boards, know that you played a pivotal role in shaping my time at the Cigar. I truly care about and thank each and every one of you, and hope that you can continue the legacy that we leave behind.
And finally, to those who are on the fence about joining: do it. I promise you won’t regret it.
I’ll forever miss the Cigar, and the bonds we formed through those long, tiring Wednesday nights. Maybe not next semester though. I’ll probably enjoy those Wednesday nights a little bit more.