Kate Ellis, Print Editor-in-Chief
On a cold November afternoon almost 4 years ago, I traversed the entirety of Ouachita’s campus for the first time, side by side with my mom on my official Ouachita visit. I still don’t know much now, but I know more than I knew then, as when I was on this tour I had yet to make any concrete decisions about my future—all I knew was that I wanted to trailblaze my way to a small college out of state. Knowing that I would come in as an undecided major, my tour guide showed me every academic building, careful not to linger on one specifically and taking ample time to make all of them sound equally enticing.
I do not much like change, and, being a creature of habit who was enjoying her senior year, was not entirely present on this tour. Yes, it was impossible to miss that Ouachita’s campus was beautiful, intramurals sounded fun and overall the school seemed like an incredible place to make lifelong friends, but my head was elsewhere. It just seemed so far in the future (even though it wasn’t), and it’s much easier to announce you’re going off to college without any of your high school friends than to actually do it (the doing it part isn’t all that fun at first). I remember leaving this tour knowing that one day I would make my home here, but it was not my home yet and I was not at all ready to move into this future home—except for one spot on campus, which caught my attention and piqued more curiosity than anywhere else on the tour: the newsroom.
I did not join the Signal staff until the middle of my sophomore year when I was deeper into my Communications major (I finally decided on a couple majors and a minor!), but the newsroom never left my mind. It was something that I wanted to be a part of, but wasn’t sure how. To me, it seemed like the most fun room on campus, and I had hoped that somehow I could get involved with something that would outlive my time at Ouachita, like the framed photos on the walls, yearbooks on the shelves and—most captivating to me—the stacks of newspapers by the door.
I still feel the same way about the newsroom to this day. If anything, my love has only grown for it. I feel thankful every time I’m in there, whether it’s for a laid-back Monday meeting or a somewhat stressful night of editing. To me, the newsroom represents Ouachita’s rich history and deep tradition, preserved by decades of hardworking hands who loved their school and had a passion for writing about it.
My time as a staff writer and as the news editor under incredible past editors prepared me immensely for my role this year as Print Editor-In-Chief. The Lord has given me far greater than I could have ever imagined during my time at Ouachita, all the way until the very end with this role, which I think will be my favorite in all my years here. I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to tell Ouachita’s stories and will forever be thankful for the chance to be a small fraction of the century-long legacy of The Signal.
Sydni Worley, Online Editor-in-Chief
I have always been a storyteller. Whether it was through theater, writing, or even babysitting (as I tried to make “bedtime” a somewhat fun experience), I have always found a way to tell stories. When choosing a school my senior year of college, I was captivated by Ouachita’s English department. I remember touring still to this day as vividly as if it was a dream. The “Bugtruck,” home of the English department, tells a story in its own way with a wall that is covered with pages that have been torn from its books and professors who so clearly love their job. Walking out of Lile, I knew that I could feel at home at Ouachita. In the process of choosing a college, I put so much pressure on myself, understandably so, considering I would be spending the next four, transformative years of my life at whatever institution I selected. Looking back, I am beyond thankful and comforted, knowing I did not make a mistake. Ouachita is where I was meant to be.
Once again, I have found myself in a position where I get to tell stories. I have been writing for the Signal since my spring semester of my freshman year. Valeria Gomez, the Online Editor-in-Chief that year, convinced me to join the staff. It wasn’t a hard decision. Growing up watching Gilmore Girls, I always dreamed of working for a school newspaper. I also looked up to Valeria a lot. The day I figured out I would have the opportunity to be the Online Editor-in-Chief, I immediately texted her: “You won’t believe what I am about to tell you!”
I am beyond thrilled and honored to have the opportunity to share Ouachita’s stories, and I hope that I can live up to the extraordinary legacy the online Signal holds. I cannot wait to see where this year takes me.
