April 28, 2026

COLLEGIAT ETIMES

GOODBYE GRADS: A DESIGNER’S GOODBYE TO THE NEWSROOM

Annmarie Leake | Graphic Design Editor

It feels strange to be writing for the Collegiate Times for the first time in my four years here. I still remember searching around Gobblerfest for the CT and hoping my previous experience in high school yearbook would be enough to get me hired. Little did I know that this would become not only my perfect creative outlet, but also an amazing opportunity to continue learning graphic design. When I came to Virginia Tech, I remember being very disappointed that there was no graphic design minor. Finding my home at the CT gave me a place to express myself and a way to give back to the Virginia Tech community.

As I reflect on the beginning of my journey, I can’t help but think about how quickly the past four years have passed. It feels like yesterday I was hunched over my dorm room desk working on my first cover, which also happened to be the

OUR CORE VALUES

Impartiality means reporting, editing and delivering the news honestly, fairly, objectively and without opinion or bias.

Credibility is the greatest asset of any news medium, and impartiality is the greatest source of credibility.

To provide the most complete report, a news organization must not just cover the news, but uncover it. It must follow the story wherever it leads, regardless of any preconceived ideas on what might be most newsworthy.

The pursuit of truth is a noble goal of journalism. But the truth is not always apparent or known immediately. Journalists’ role is therefore not to determine what they believe at that time to be the truth and reveal only

Goodbye Grads issue. Now, four years later, I am taking my graduation pictures with a copy of it in hand. It feels like a full-circle moment to have one of my last covers also be the Goodbye Grads issue, and to be one of the last print editions of the CT. My last four years have been filled with countless Pinterest searches for cover ideas, times when the design team consisted only of me, and revamping the newspaper’s design this past year. It is going to be so weird not being in the newsroom on Sunday afternoons anymore. I will miss my corner of the newsroom dearly. None of these experiences would have been possible without the people who supported me along the way. I owe everything to Sydney Johnson and Nanami Nishimoto, who not only hired me but also believed in me. They taught me everything I know about designing for the CT and eventually running the

that to their readers, but rather to report as completely and impartially as possible all verifiable facts so that readers can, based on their own knowledge and experience, determine what they believe to be the truth.

When a news organization delivers both news and opinions, the impartiality and credibility of the news organization can be questioned. To minimize this as much as possible there needs to be a sharp and clear distinction between news and opinion, both to those providing and consuming the news.

Voice your opinion. Send letters to the Collegiate Times.

365 Squires Student Center

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opinionseditor@collegiatetimes.com

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Letters, commentaries and editorial cartoons do not reflect the views of the Collegiate Times. Editorials are written by the Collegiate Times editorial board, which is composed of the opinions editors, editor in chief and managing editors.

design team. I could not have done all of this without their support and the many editors-in-chief throughout the last four years. Being a part of the CT has meant so much to me, and I am so sad to say

NEWSROOM

goodbye, but I cannot wait to see where the CT is headed in the future.

COLLEGIAT ETIMES

231-9865

Editor-in-Chief: Michaela Scott (editor@collegiatetimes.com)

Managing editor: Ayisha Surani

Design editor: Annmarie Leake

Assistant Design editors: Caroline Rogers, Sarah Jordan, Mx Zaleski, and Alana Vernon

Copy editors: Emily Southern, Olivia Guy, and Amanda Donndelinger.

News editors: Erin Bailey and Ava Garrison

Assistant News editors: Hannah Skemp and Julian Namez

Lifestyles editors: Emma Duncan

Assistant Lifestyles editors: Cat Pizzarello and Ella Winterling

and Brody Bryan

Opinions editor: Jenna Mason and Mohib Amjad

Assistant Opinions Editor: Shelby Brann and Emily Urda

Photo editor: Hamad Alhendi

Assistant Photo editor: Riley Thompson

Have a news tip? newstips@collegiatetimes.com

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Business manager: Greg Patterson (business@collegemedia.com)

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The Collegiate Times, a division of the Educational Media Company at Virginia Tech, was established in 1903 by and for the students of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. The Collegiate Times is published every Tuesday of the academic year except during exams and vacations. To order a reprint of a photograph printed in the Collegiate Times, visit reprints.collegemedia.com. The Collegiate Times is a division of the Educational Media Company at Virginia Tech, Inc., a 501(c)3 nonprofit with a mission to provide educational experience in business and production of mass media for Virginia Tech students. © Collegiate Times, 2020. All rights reserved. Material published in the Collegiate Times is the property thereof, and may not be reprinted without the express written consent of the Collegiate Times.

Advertisements do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Collegiate Times. Read about our organization’s Core Values online at collegiatetimes.com.

GOODBYE GRADS: MY NERDY CHILDHOOD DREAM COME TRUE

Sam Mostow | Sports Editor

Working for the Collegiate Times brought some of the best experiences of my life.

“Hey Sam! Do you have any big plans for Saturday?”

On Friday, Oct. 14, 2022, at 12:32 p.m., my phone buzzed with a GroupMe message from Colby Talley, one of my Collegiate Times sports editors. I was sitting in my communication skills class two months into my freshman year and jolted as I saw the notification.

Was he asking what I thought he was asking?

Yes, he was. Enclosed in the message was an offer to cover Virginia Tech’s football game against Miami the next day from the Lane Stadium press box. So, I trekked from East Eggleston Hall to the fifth-floor press box the following morning, in awe of everything in front of me. There sat all the professionals whom I spent years admiring, with identical passes to mine dangling around their necks. The experience was a culture shock, as someone just months removed from graduating high school and prone to imposter syndrome. But, hey, everyone in the press box had a job to do. That included me.

The Collegiate Times became my

ticket to anywhere that piqued my interest. It sent me to Charlotte for the Caitlin Clark circus (there was no shortage of No. 22 jerseys in the Eastern time zone) and the most bizarre quote of my life (my apologies to Tobi Lawal and Tech’s athletics communications staff if it caused you any headache). It resulted in a trip to Greensboro for the ACC Men’s Basketball Tournament in 2023, where Mike Young very kindly gave me two minutes one-on-one in the open locker room, recognizing that I was 19 years old and looked like a deer in headlights. I got a front-row seat to College GameDay at the height of the women’s basketball dynasty featuring Kenny Brooks, Liz Kitley and Georgia Amoore, then saw its downfall during the ACC Women’s Basketball Tournament in 2024 and the ensuing NCAA Tournament in Cassell Coliseum. I went to Charlottesville for the football team’s 55-17 drubbing of Virginia that proved to be a red herring, then to Annapolis for a Military Bowl win that was even more of one.

But more than anything else, the newspaper allowed me to live out

my childhood dream surrounded by wonderful people. I was a kid who pored through each morning’s Washington Post to memorize box scores. I idolized so many great writers, then became fortunate enough to consider some of them my colleagues and friends. The CT was the breeding ground for some of the best opportunities I have ever been lucky enough to receive, and I tried to never take it for granted.

Huge thank you to everyone who shared the newsroom with me over the past few years, including Colby Talley and Amber Williams, my initial sports editors; Momiji Barlow, Victoria Weber and Michaela Scott, my editors-inchief; and everyone else who attended Sunday production and weekly section meetings –– there are too many of you to name, but you know who you are. Thank you to Amy Ostroth, our EMCVT faculty advisor, who supports our work every step of the way. And an extra shoutout to Thomas Bray and Dylan Tefft, the world’s best fellow sports editors, who kindly respond to my sports takes in our group chat. Thomas, the Panthers will be good

again someday (#KeepPounding). Let’s go to Portofino’s again.

Thank you to everyone kind enough to hire and/or mentor and/or work with me at various internship stops throughout college, especially David Cunningham, Will Stewart, Nick Brown, Chip Grubb, Carter Hill, Jack Brizendine and Raza Umerani at Tech Sideline; Brian Kelley, Todd Jackson, Matt Case, Mark Berman, Damien Sordelett and Matt Gentry at The Roanoke Times; and Matt Kiewiet, Zach Joachim, Savannah Reger and Jackson Didlake at The Richmond Times-Dispatch.

Thank you to every journalism teacher I had along the way. That includes –– but is not limited to –– Peter Laub and Kelsey Lietzen at Meridian High School, plus Katie Thomas, Dale Jenkins, Robin Reed and Bill Roth here in Blacksburg. Also, every sports information director within Virginia Tech’s athletic department (namely Dani Pluchinsky), for treating student reporters like professionals and being receptive to my sometimes high-maintenance story ideas. Thank you to every student who came through Virginia Tech’s journalism and sports media programs before me, for building up the school to what it is and supporting everyone along the way.

Finally, thank you to my family for living this nerdy dream of mine by my side. And also thank you for laughing whenever I text pictures of mascots to the group chat. I am going to keep doing that.

I am going to cross the Burruss Hall stage on May 16 filled with gratitude and joy. No matter where life sends me next, I take comfort in the memories and experiences I have been fortunate enough to build here at Virginia Tech. Being a part of the Collegiate Times has been one of the best experiences of my life, and I feel lucky for it every day.

Thanks for everything, Sam

GOODBYE GRADS: A LETTER TO THOSE I NEVER MET

Ayisha Noor Surani | Managing Editor

This article is dedicated to my mother. Noor Maami, this diploma should have your name on it, not mine.

Noor Jahan Surani was born in Gujarat, India. When she was 16 years old, she moved to Pakistan to marry a man she had never met. Though she was illiterate, she was incredibly talented and self-taught in math and known for her charisma and quick wit. She died of multiple myeloma in the United States but was laid to rest in Pakistan as per her wishes.

Noor Muhammad Surani was two years old during the Partition of India and Pakistan. He studied law outside on the streets by lamplight. He never became a lawyer and married at 19. Where his wife was sharp and mischievous, he was gentle and reserved. He died of a heart attack in Hyderabad, Pakistan.

Sabiha Ben Trad was born in Bou Salem, Tunisia. She was my mother’s favorite sister and loved carrying candy wherever she went to hand out to children. As a child, she was naughty, stealing fruit on her long walks home

from school. She died of kidney disease at 19.

And then there is me, granddaughter to my Dadi Noor Jahan Surani and Dada Noor Muhammad Surani, niece to my Khalti Sabiha Ben Trad.

I have never been good at math. I am not inherently smart, but I work hard. I have never worried about having to study by lamplight. I am impatient, quick-tempered and perhaps like my Dadi, too sharp for my own good. In Pakistan, I am described as having nakhre (the Urdu word for “bad attitude”), and in Tunisia, I am a thalouba (the Arabic word for a devious fox).

In many ways, I feel like a watered-down version of those before me, with more flaws than strengths. And yet, I am the one graduating from college instead of them.

Children of immigrants carry a quiet weight that doesn’t go away. At every step, you are reminded that your privilege is shaped by luck. What if Dada had become a lawyer? What if Dadi had studied mathematics? What if Khalti

lived past 19? Would they have accomplished more than me?

In Islam, there is a word for this – qadr, meaning divine decree. It allows you to submit your worries to a Higher Power. What feels like luck is already written.

At Virginia Tech, I have learned so many lessons — trust, friendship, giving back and preparing for the real world. The most important lesson is the most humbling: Someone may deserve my position more, but I’m the one who is here. Wasting this opportunity out of doubt would be an injustice to those who never had the chance.

To my father Abi, who never let me believe that being a girl limited me.

To my aunts Mama, Samma and Rozi, the bravest women I know.

To my uncles Raheem, Hussain and Jawaid and their wives Amal, Sabrine and Diana for always treating me like their daughter, even after having children of their own.

To my Apa Ikka, who read every essay and passing thought.

To my younger siblings, whose calls and videos kept me from feeling far from home.

To my teacher of 10 years, Najah Jinoun, who still manages to teach me something new every week.

To my friends who are so patient with me. You know who you are.

To my professors, some of you have known me since my freshman year, some of you watched me lose internships, grants, and fellowships. Some of you even watched me go from struggling in your classes to flourishing by the end of the semester. Thank you for believing in me regardless.

To my editor-in-chief, Michaela Scott, whom I admire so much. Thank you for making me a better leader.

To the CT, it saddens me that I am graduating early and won’t be returning as your EIC. It was almost the reason I stayed back. But I know Ava Garrison is going to be a legacy, and Jenna Mason and Cat Pizzarello will fill my position far better than I ever did. I am so happy to know that the CT is in good hands.

Noor Jahan’s final wish was to be buried next to her husband, but for years, there was no space in the graveyard. At her burial, a tree was found to have grown right next to her husband’s grave. After it was chopped down, the spot was the perfect fit for her coffin. Her final wish to rest beside him was granted. That sounds a lot like qadr to me.

GOODBYE GRADS: TAKE THE FIRST STEP

Michaela Scott | Editor-in-Chief

Editor-in-Chief Michaela Scott reflects on taking the first step — and why it matters.

When I got to Virginia Tech in August 2022, I picked up a copy of the Collegiate Times and joked on Snapchat, “In four years, my name will be on the cover.”

I saved it and didn’t think much of it again.

A few weeks later, I almost didn’t go to the Collegiate Times interest meeting. I sat in my dorm, convincing myself that I wasn’t good enough. I told myself that I didn’t belong in something that felt so important. I called my mom in tears.

She told me, “Just take the first step.” So, I did.

That one decision of walking into a room I didn’t feel ready for changed everything. It led me here. Not because I had it all figured out, but because I kept showing up, surrounded by people who made me better.

The Collegiate Times was never about one person. It’s always been a place built on passion, curiosity and people who care deeply about telling stories that matter. I was lucky enough to be one part of that.

To the people who shaped my time here: Thank you.

To Emy Delaporte, someone I have looked up to for so long, thank you

for always believing in me, even in moments when I struggled to believe in myself. You never judged, only guided and consistently opened doors I didn’t even know existed. Whether it was long conversations in the newsroom or traveling throughout the NRV, you showed me parts of this work — and this community — that most people never get to see.

To Emma Duncan, who took over the lifestyles section after I went into management, I will never not be impressed by your work. Your ambition, dedication and passion for what you do inspire me every day, and I cannot wait to see what you accomplish next.

To my managing editor, Ayisha Surani, thank you for being the most amazing partner in this newsroom. Our ideas synced as one, and I will always cherish the friendship we built as we both were thrown into major positions with nothing but big ideas.

To my leadership team, Annemarie Leake, Sam Mostow, Faith Casey, Thomas Bray, Cat Pizzarello, Jenna Mason, Mohib Amjad, Shelby Brann, Erin Bailey, Olivia Guy, Amanda Donndelinger, Emily Southern, Dylan Tefft, Hamad Alhendi, Riley Thompson,

Emily Urda, Ella Winterling, thank you for building something bigger than yourselves and pushing the Collegiate Times forward.

To my incoming EIC, Ava Garrison, I am so incredibly proud of you, and I do not doubt that you will take the next

chapter of the CT in some of the most extraordinary directions. I’m leaving you with a job that is unfinished. I’m leaving knowing the Collegiate Times is in steady, capable hands. You have the vision, the drive and the heart to continue pushing this organization forward while staying true to what makes it so important. I can’t wait to see where you take it.

All you have to do is take the first step.

To those stepping into what’s next: You don’t need to feel ready. You don’t need to feel confident. You just need to start.

Send the email. Show up to the meeting. Take the opportunity that scares you.

You never know where that first step might lead.

Farewell for now, CT – I will cherish you forever.

Love, Michaela

GOODBYE GRADS: A TRIBUTE TO COPY

Emily Southern | Lead Copy Editor

Lead Copy Editor Emily Southern talks finding her place at Virginia Tech.

PHOTO BY BRAD HALLEY

There was one thing that was consistent throughout my entire time at Virginia Tech — that I wasn’t available on Sundays. My friends knew. My family knew. Everyone knew I would be in production for the Collegiate Times, editing articles before they were published in the coming days.

It never mattered what my friends wanted to do on Sunday or what they could bribe me with; I wouldn’t do it. My role in the CT came first to me.

I graduated from high school at 16 and I got a full-ride to Tech. Neither of my parents ever graduated from high school. It was important to me to make my family proud.

My freshman year, I genuinely thought that I wouldn’t make it out. I was counting down the days, weeks and months until I could leave and go home. And home wasn’t even that great; I just couldn’t find my place in Blacksburg.

But one day, at the beginning of my sophomore year, I joined the CT as an assistant copy editor. I found solace in the routine, in AP Style. It was the one thing that was constant in my everchanging and unpredictable life. People always asked me how I read that many articles, but honestly, I always wanted to. Saying goodbye to the Collegiate Times is sad and I will have to find a new constant in my life, but I will always be grateful for the time that I lent to it.

Blacksburg became a temporary type of home. I’ve edited countless articles for the CT, probably hundreds at this point. I’ve written so many articles for Virginia Tech News as a university writer. I’ve modeled for VDR. I worked for years as a production technician at the Center for the Arts, most often going straight from production at the CT to production at the CFA. I will be joining LeadPoint

Digital as a digital writing specialist shortly after graduating.

This isn’t just my goodbye to the Collegiate Times; it is my goodbye to Virginia Tech as a whole. I thank the school for being such a kind place. I thank my former CT members, who taught me everything I know, Riley Vinluan and Victoria Weber, and all of the amazing current members. To my copy team, Olivia and Amanda, thank you. There truly are too many people to name, but thank you and goodbye.

@COLLEGIATETIMES

GOODBYE GRADS: MORE OF ME

Thomas Bray | Sports Editor

Blacksburg gave me a confirmation that the original was more than fine.

I came here a kid. Not immature — just a little wide-eyed. The kind who still finds something to laugh at in most rooms he walks into.

Less than 30 days from graduation, I realize I haven’t changed much. That’s fine.

I grew up somewhere where the sidewalks ended before the “houses” did, and the big excitement was a Panda Express opening off the bypass. Then I got to Blacksburg and discovered I had Xfinity for the first time. I could walk anywhere. Everywhere. At any hour. Just walk, no destination required, and something pleasant would meet me halfway.

I used to walk to Kroger just to pick up my medicine. Because I could.

On the way, the bus loop sat in perpetual construction. Orange barriers everywhere, and the same unfinished look every single time I passed it. Then one morning in the summer, it was just done. No ceremony. No formal

announcement. I walked past it on the way to Kroger and thought: That’s how this works.

You just look up one day and the cranes are gone.

I was so overcommitted — extracurriculars, coursework, a food service job — that I never stopped long enough to measure any of it. I gave pieces of myself to all of it and all of myself to none of it. I’m not sure I could have done it differently. I’m not sure I should have.

That’s fine.

What Blacksburg gave me wasn’t a new version of myself. It was confirmation that the original one was fine. More than fine. The people I’ve been fortunate enough to know here reflected back what was already there and showed me it was refreshing.

I didn’t build anything. I uncovered what was already there.

Some of that uncovering wasn’t gentle. Physical challenges I didn’t ask for and couldn’t plan around. But they

didn’t slow down the process because the process was never about speed. It was just what I did. Not going through anything — just going. The next day was always the next step.

I just did more of me.

As I move toward graduate school, I want to immerse myself more fully than I ever have. That’s the plan. But I also know myself. My commitments need to stay plural. I always need to be building.

Marcus Aurelius wrote that the present moment is all we have. My moments need to be plentiful.

I honestly can’t even give my all to this goodbye piece. I work tomorrow. I work the day after. I have a final ad plan due and a story to finish on the quiz bowl team that just won two national championships. That’s not a complaint. That’s just Wednesday. Maybe one day I’ll sit down and give everything I have to one single thing.

For now, I’m as settled as Virginia Tech’s construction plans.

GOODBYE GRADS: I HOPE YOU HAD THE TIME OF YOUR LIFE(STYLES)

Emma Duncan | Lifestyles Editor

Lifestyles Head Section Editor Emma Duncan says goodbye to the experiences and people that defined her time as a Hokie.

My college experience flashed by in the blink of an eye (especially since I’m graduating a year early), but the view, however short-lived, was beautiful. Certain spaces where I’ve spent my time as a Hokie stick out among the rest. Squires Auditorium, where I attended Chi Alpha services. The classrooms where I served as a H.U.G. Leader. Vawter Hall, where I lived for two years (a story for another time). Buddy Howell (Howdy) and Professor Robin Reed’s offices, where I sought advice. And especially the Collegiate Times newsroom, where I gave others a platform to tell their stories.

I’ve always been fascinated by other people’s lives and what they choose to do with them. While our passion projects and dreams differ, our exigence for creation is the same: we don’t want to leave the world as we found it. When I discovered journalism in high school, my way of creating became translating lived experiences and passing moments I witnessed into something tangible.

So much creating takes place in a college town. Every time I receive a news tip, I always think, “I had no clue we had that here” or “That’s so awesome.” Over the years, I’ve showcased coffee shops and apparel stores, highlighted vocal and visual art and continued reviewing music as I so loved to do in high school. I debunked rival stereotypes, honored a lost Hokie and his mother and gave advice to new and returning students.

My favorite part of writing these stories had nothing to do with getting a byline. I’m naturally curious, so the title “lifestyles contributor” or “lifestyles staff writer” opened doors for me to ask questions.

As I transitioned from writer to editor, I got a rare opportunity to create culture. In September 2024, I led a section meeting that just felt different. In the past, lifestyles meetings were rarely longer than 40 minutes, but this one lasted over an hour. People came to pitch stories but stayed to spend time

with the people around them.

You know how some clubs use Highs, Lows and Buffaloes to break the ice and introduce vulnerability? Weirdos, right?

How dare you say that! No, there was a time in my life when I also doubted the importance of the seemingly mundane conversation starter. That’s until I noticed people remembering what their fellow writer said the previous week. Following up on how an exam went, showing support during both exciting and rough seasons and generally engaging in each other’s lives. In the lifestyles section, we talk business first, always ready with a contact or story angle, but then we close our laptops, sit back and hang out with our friends.

What a joy it’s been to hear people say they feel safe, included and valued when they come to a lifestyles section meeting. What a challenge to put a time limit on good conversation. What fun it’s been to build a quote list with highlights such as:

“Low … I started working at Perry Place,” said Aidan Mason, Sept. 18, 2025 (This was one week after his “high” was starting a new job).

“I didn’t need to spend $7 for type two in a cup,” said Benjamin Gozzi, Nov. 6 2025.

“My geebies have been heebied,” said yours truly, Feb. 24, 2026.

“It’s not a low, it’s a learning experience,” said Willow Musterman, Feb. 24, 2026.

“I grew up an Owens boy,” said Hunter Grove, March 17, 2026.

When I graduated high school, I wrote thank-you notes to the people who impacted me most, so it only seemed fitting to thank a certain few who made my time in student journalism so sweet.

Michaela, you’ve been a constant since the beginning, and I see you as a big sister. Your leadership and honesty are refreshing, and I am incredibly proud of all you’ve accomplished with the paper and in life these last four years.

Cat and Ella, our lifestyles ladies trio,

has been the greatest partnership I’ve had the pleasure of being in. We aren’t just coeditors, we’re lifelong friends, as evidenced by the fact that the Collegiate Times is honestly what we talk about the least. We’ve created something special in our little section, and I haven’t processed yet that I’m leaving it. Cat, as I’ve told you before, you are a rare jewel. Let the writing world beware. Ella, my voice of reason, the lifestyles section is in the best of hands with you in charge. I won’t be surprised to learn that one of your films is screening at Sundance.

Bailey, Sam and Annie, I’m excited to see you make the assistant editor positions your own. You each have a sense of creativity that no one can take away from you.

To my writers, y’all are a remarkable group of people. I hope I’ve served you well.

My dear freshmen, you inspire me with your energy and zest for life. Keep chasing after everything that comes your way and soaking it all in. I’ve learned that college goes by fast.

And one final note to my multimedia

journalism friends in the class of 2027, the more I’ve gotten to know you all, the harder and harder it’s been to leave. Taylor Berenbaum said it best, “How have I gone my whole life without you in it?” I wish I could turn my tassel with each of you, but trust that I’ll be shouting from Burruss Auditorium in one year as you all celebrate the milestone I’ll reach in just a few days.

The Collegiate Times is such a magnificent thing. Ranging from contributor to editor-in-chief, there are so many unique voices to share the countless things happening on this campus. Every Sunday, I get to sit in a room with all the coolest people Virginia Tech has to offer and document history. It’s been a journey with ups and downs, but overall, a true pleasure.

Dad, I know you’re reading this, so it’s only fitting to end this letter in one way. “She gone!”

GOODBYE GRADS: THE FINAL EDIT

Lead

The best stories never come out perfect on the first draft.

I know this better than most. For three years, I sat in Collegiate Times meetings — first as assistant copy editor, then, after a brief detour home I didn’t plan for, as lead. During my time here, I read hundreds of drafts that needed a little work: A misplaced comma here. A paragraph that didn’t belong there. The job was never to throw the draft away. It was never about perfection. It was about finding the best of the story and reworking the rest.

I didn’t expect the same to go for my own college experience.

I did not expect Virginia Tech to rewrite my original plan. But it did anyway. There were chapters I hadn’t planned for, a semester pulled from the page before I was ready, mornings spent somewhere that wasn’t Blacksburg, wondering if I’d find my way back to it. I did. And in doing so, I also came back to the newsroom.

Here’s what three years in a newsroom taught me: the best edits aren’t losses. The draft gets closer to what it was always trying to say.

I’m graduating a year early, a sentence that is technically true and tells you almost nothing about the last three years. I’m grateful and also full of things I didn’t expect to carry. I carry the Saturday mornings at the farmers market, hunting for the right bagel, the right pastry, the kind of ordinary routine that I am already missing before it’s over. I carry patio seating in the sun, catching up with friends, soy ginger tacos from Cabo and conversations that go on forever. I carry production on Sundays at the Collegiate Times, the team that shows up every week because production must go on. I carry baking nights, and the smell of something warm in the kitchen that makes my apartment feel like home. I carry syllabus week, and the night-before-the-first-day jitters that brought me back to grade school.

But don’t be fooled, I also carry the parts of this story that are not easy to tell.

There’s a line I’ve been holding onto as graduation nears: You can’t go back, so give yourself a second chance to do it over again. I used to think that was simply about regret. Now, I think it’s about revision and the (wanted and unwanted) lessons learned. You don’t get to undo the hard paragraphs.

But the important part is you get to keep writing.

So that’s what I plan to do: a London and Amsterdam trip in May. Law school eventually — but first, a breath, a reset, a year or two to remember that rest is also an essential part of the story.

I will miss Virginia Tech in the way you miss something challenging and good and formative all at once. I’ll miss the mundane things most of all. The short walk from my apartment to campus. The farmer’s market on a slow Saturday morning. The Sunday newsroom. The professors, friends and acquaintances

who are all cherished characters in my story of the “college experience.” While my partners-in-crime copy editors changed over time, Emily and Amanda made my final year in the newsroom feel like I was exactly where I was supposed to be. Virginia Tech gave me the most important thing a newsroom can give you: the knowledge that even a messy draft is something worth publishing. The draft was messy. It was also, I think, exactly what it needed to be.

I’m grateful for every edit — and for this, the final draft. For now.

GOODBYE GRADS: THE STORY ENDS

Aidan Mason | Lifestyles Staff Writer

Even though the story ends, the memories live with creative writing senior Aidan Mason.

There are, as “Rent” taught me, 525,600 minutes per year. Multiplied by 4, that’s 2,102,400 minutes across four years at Virginia Tech, and a good chunk of them were spent in the Collegiate Times office.

The truth and I are intertwined in strange ways. As a creative writing major, my craft is in fiction. Storytelling. Tall tales. The newsroom is about the truth. Cold, hard facts with a splash of opinions in the proper section. So how do the two intertwine? How could I, with my background in fantastical stories that bear so little resemblance to reality, become a part of a news organization?

Collegiate Times taught me a simple truth: a good story doesn’t need to be fictional. In lifestyles, I’ve gotten the chance to hone my skills in wordplay and flow, which are an integral part of any

narrative. And perhaps above all, I’ve learned the value of real-life stories, and how they matter just as much.

Part of being a good writer is life experience. With lifestyles, I’ve been able to cover so many different angles of Virginia Tech life, from Family Weekend to post-grad loneliness to off-campus housing, and so much more. I’ve gotten to talk to dozens of people, from entrepreneurs to your average student, and each one has had a story to tell.

The people are what I’ll miss the most, though. My fellow writers and editors in the newsroom, who’ve been there in the trenches, from story to story. I got a taste of what leaving them behind would be like when a few of them graduated last year, but now that it’s my turn, I get a sense of dread in my stomach when I think about it.

I have so many memories in that newsroom, too many to count. I could write about a couple, but how do you condense four years into a paragraph? Which memories should I choose? Should I point out the “highs, lows and buffalos” that came with each meeting, Benny’s outings towards the end of the semester or the vivid discussion of current events as we devised our stories for the week?

What matters, though, is that each of these memories exists — not just in my head, but on the Collegiate Times website. Every story has countless memories behind it, and when I read my old pieces, I get to remember them all again. That’s the privilege of real stories: they never go away, no matter how long ago they happened.

Does it make it any easier to graduate?

No, but that’s life. To quote “Doctor Who: Logopolis,” “It’s the end, but the moment has been prepared for.”

GOODBYE GRADS: A SHORT AND SWEET REFLECTION

Anna

Payne | Lifestyles Staff Writer

Lifestyles Staff Writer Anna Payne finds a piece of herself in the Collegiate Times.

What happens when you get to college and you have absolutely no idea what you want to do, where you want to go or who you want to be?

Well, for starters, when I joined college, the very first thing I did was join The Marching Virginians. That provided a place for me to make friends and learn a little more about myself, especially in such a new place. I knew one thing for sure about myself: that I loved anything that had to do with the creative arts. Whether that was band, photography or videography, I knew that for certain. By my sophomore year, I thought that becoming a multimedia journalism major was a perfect fit for me, mixing

everything I loved about media into a potential career. The only part I wasn’t so sure about was the writing (arguably the heaviest part of the job). I never considered myself a good writer, in fact, not even a good reader.

My friend, Emy, who was a year above me in the band at that time, urged me to join the Collegiate Times. She assured me that no experience was needed and that I would fit in just fine. I attended my first meeting, where I was greeted with friendly faces and creatives who wanted to share stories. Just like me.

To me, that is what journalism is about. My favorite part of the process is interviewing people, getting to know

them and their stories, and sharing them with my small part of the world. Stories are essential to human connection, and it’s what draws me to the creative arts. With journalism, I get to be a person who helps share others’ voices and stories; something very important and meaningful to me.

So, my one thing to share: take this time to find yourself, find what you love and stop worrying so much about the future. Live for every moment and take opportunities as they come to you.

Thank you, Emy, for introducing me to the Collegiate Times. Thank you to the Collegiate Times for all the wonderful people I met and the opportunity to find

another piece of myself. @COLLEGIATETIMES

GOODBYE GRADS: A FEW LAST OPINIONS

Sarah Lerberknight | Opinions Columnist

Labeling individuals as gifted, in fact, diminishes hard work and can have counterintuitive consequences.

I’ve spent all four years at Tech unleashing my opinions through the Collegiate Times. What a journey it has been, mounting takedowns on Virginia Tech’s new course request system, professors’ inability to grade things promptly and the trend of celebrating Christmas far too early. I didn’t spend all my time being a hater, though, as I supported video game movies, wearing sunglasses and the best coffee shops in Blacksburg. The more light-hearted topics, in my opinion (see what I did there?), are just as important. Giving my opinion means using my voice to not only criticize but also uplift and educate, and sometimes even entertain. The CT was the first place that gave me the chance to publicly publish my voice and now, somehow, I’m here to say my final words.

Usually, I sit down and write my pieces pretty soon after I pitch them. But I’ve stalled on this one because the final period of this piece will mark the end of my time as an opinions columnist for the CT. Which means I’ve had a lot of time — maybe too much time — to think about what to say.

I knew I wanted to write for the Collegiate Times before I knew I wanted to be a student here, as weird as that sounds. It was my senior year of high school, and I was editor-in-chief of the school newspaper. My teacher was a Hokie, and he talked fondly about his time racing around Blacksburg to cover the news for the CT. After listening to his stories, I knew that I wanted to write for the CT. So when Gobblerfest rolled around my freshman year, I had exactly one goal in mind. Find the CT tent and sign up.

I chose opinions because, well, I have a lot of them, and I’ve never liked holding them back. As a kid, I always struggled when my friends or siblings would ask for an opinion on their outfit or something they had made. I wanted to be honest, but they were hoping for a compliment, even if that required a white lie. So getting to professionally be as blunt as possible sounded like a dream come true. And seeing as I’m still here four years later, it really was.

Now, it feels only right to finish off my time at the CT opinions section and my time at Tech with a few opinions. Of course, I have opinions on college life and VT, and it would be wrong not to share them.

1. Every freshman should have the terrible dorm experience. Now, I’m not saying they need to be suffering in unlivable conditions. But having to tough it out in Pritchard and Slusher and other dorms like them builds character and connects students through memories of sweating it out in August, trekking up twelve flights of stairs, getting woken up by late-night fire alarms and enduring questionable, possibly substance-induced smells. People who only ever lived in the CID just don’t get it, and I think that’s sad.

2. The food here is good, but it’s not nationally-ranked good. We have a decent variety of options, but the quality ranges so drastically between dining halls. Yes, Perry Place and Turner Place have some excellent meals — hibachi, crepes, BBQ, pho. But then you have D2 and Owens, which serve very traditional, sub-par dining hall grub. Fine, but nothing to write home about.

3. Keeping on the food theme, Turner Place is the best dining hall overall. Newcomer Perry Place’s food is great, but Turner’s is better. There are a lot of options, all of which are good, and the industrial decor and vibe paired with the bright natural lighting from the windows inside is the best for studying, hanging out, and eating. They also have great outdoor seating. It’s easy to duck in between classes as well. Turner Place is a true best of all worlds dining center.

4. Liberal Arts, Fine Arts and other more creative majors deserve to be here just as much as the STEM and business majors do. I have gotten a slew of comments from people saying that I shouldn’t be at VT, or that I shouldn’t be able to complain about how I’m treated here, because I’m an English major. That’s nonsense. Nobody deserves to be disrespected or treated less than because of their major. Just listen to how ridiculous that sounds. Virginia Tech has these departments and their

BY

students deserve the same enriching, positive experiences that the Colleges of Engineering, Science or Business do. With the hiring rate looking how it does these days, a lot of us, regardless of major, are in the same boat at graduation.

5. Walking or biking to and from campus is genuinely a better, quicker option than the bus when you live a reasonable distance away. Blacksburg Transit is inconsistent and constantly has technical issues — this applies to the app too — causing slowed or even cancelled bus routes. If you live a mile away, the campus is a 20- to 25-minute walk. I’m 1.3 miles away and it takes me 22 minutes. It’s a good way to get some fresh air in, take in the town and prepare mentally while heading to class or destress after leaving class. Plus, the exercise doesn’t hurt.

6. Finally, college is what you make it. It’s OK if your experience isn’t the same as your friend’s or your roommate’s or your parents’ who went there thirty-something years ago. What matters about your college experience is that you enjoy it. That might look like joining a million clubs or just one that you’re all in on. It might look like going out every

weekend, on occasion or never. Or it might even look like studying in Newman or in your bed. “The best years of your life” is objective and based on what you enjoy. Don’t feel the pressure to live in someone else’s shoes. It’s not worth it. What was worth it for me was every minute I spent writing for the Collegiate Times, serving Tech and Blacksburg with my opinions. It’s been a good time. Now I’m off to have new writing adventures, but I’ll always remember where I started. Enough with the stalling though. My chapter at the CT will end by the end of this sentence, and all I have left to say is thanks for reading and goodbye.

- Sarah Leberknight

GOODBYE GRADS: GOODBYE SHANKS

When I first came to Virginia Tech, I was an extremely nervous animal and poultry science major with a focus on pre-veterinary studies. I was living in East Campbell on the second floor with my friend from high school, who was in the same major as me.

Most unfortunately, things went quickly downhill. A dirty dorm building, improperly cleaned bathrooms, next-door neighbors whose room smelled rotten and a toxic environment within the major. My friend and I were struggling with our mental health, and we both ended up going home after the end of the semester.

Quickly after that first semester, I changed my major to English language arts education and spent a semester online completing random pathways before I came back at the beginning of my second year. That semester changed everything. Two of my classes have stuck with me and have been deciding factors in my later decisions here at Virginia Tech. Those classes were Intro to Creative Writing with Joe Scallorns and Shakespeare in Love with Katherine Cleland.

Until then, I had despised creative writing, especially poetry, and had disliked Shakespeare — mainly due to my experiences with those topics in high school. These two professors showed me, through their enthusiasm and depth of knowledge in their subjects, that I was so wrong.

I have now taken three classes with Cleland, all related to Renaissance literature and Shakespeare in general, and have switched majors to English literature and added a second major of creative writing. I want to thank you both, Professor Cleland and Professor Scallorns, for opening my eyes and giving me the tools and encouragement to pursue the subjects I now love.

I struggled immensely with my mental health, and feel that Cook Counseling saved me from a future I did not want.

I took a most wonderful study abroad trip to London in summer 2024, with one of my best friends, whom I met in that same intro to creative writing class with Scallorns. I made new friends with whom

I still talk and see to this day, and I think about that trip all of the time.

I worked in VT Dining and hated every second of it. I worked at the Hokie Shop and loved it and most of all, I have worked as an office assistant in the English department and have felt truly at home there.

I attended football games, plays, events on the Drillfield, Gobblerfest, Pride Center craft nights, English Department speakers, events at the Lyric Theater and so much more. I bought a class ring last year, but didn’t feel like I had earned the right to wear it until this year. I also joined the Collegiate Times and wrote for the opinions section for my last two semesters here, and it has been so amazing.

I spent so much time in Shanks Hall that the English department put a very unmovable sign on my usual table, naming it “The Livia Wenger Study Corner,” located on the

third-floor atrium. You should go sit there sometime, it’s a really nice corner, perfect for studies and contemplation.

All of this to say that I am not sure where I would be without the support and community of the English department. I certainly would not have had the mental space to join the Collegiate Times or to feel that I had done well in my writing.

I don’t know what comes next for me, but I do know that I won’t look back at my time in college with any feelings of regret. I will look back with affection and gratitude that I was given an environment where I could thrive and become myself. I am saddened to have to leave behind all of these wonderful people and the welcoming environment that they have created.

On that note, I want to personally thank the following people who have made my time here at Virginia Tech worth it: Hunter Tufarelli, Katharine Cleland, Joe Scallorns, Jared Gibbs (who

I had classes with so much that I asked most seriously about this semester’s final paper … I’m not in his class), Katrina Powell, Samantha Cho, Lena Mahyoub, Sabrina Roberts, Jenna Mason (without whom I never would have joined the CT), Charisma White, Kelly Pender, Melissa Hafer, Kari Woodard, John Ambrosone and so many more. You all have helped make me the person I am today, and I am proud of who I have become and who I will be.

GOODBYE GRADS: THE BEST CONSTANT IN MY TIME AT VIRGINIA TECH

Emily Dorsey | Opinions Columnist

A heartfelt farewell reflecting community, growth, and lasting Hokie memories.

As my time at Virginia Tech sadly comes to a close, so does my third year at the Collegiate Times writing for the opinions section. In May, I’ll be graduating with a bachelor’s in multimedia journalism with two minors in leadership and social change and consumer studies. Throughout major changes, endless hours of video editing and figuring out who I am, the Collegiate Times has been a constant, and it’s bittersweet to say goodbye.

My goal as a CT columnist, and a practicing journalist in classes, was to take national or state news and make it applicable, relevant and interesting to Blacksburg residents. I prioritized interviews, prominent sources and numerical data to back up my opinions and provide readers with hard proof. The inspiration behind topics I’ve written about as an opinions columnist came from class courses, extracurriculars and other

experiences I’ve had while living and working in the New River Valley.

For example, writing about my podcast preference came about when I didn’t have social media and could see others’ lives being rooted in it. Secondly, advocating for passionate professors and displaying students’ lack of engagement came directly from personal classroom experience and the changes I have yet to see. Being bolder by sharing my political claims and addressing violence in digital media came about from the communication ethics course and professor, Robin Reed, both inspiring me to analyze from varying perspectives. I’m endlessly appreciative of the Collegiate Times for serving as a support system and communication channel where I could input my opinion and challenge others.

Four years ago, I had no idea how unexpectedly wonderful, sometimes

confusing and beyond rewarding my time at Virginia Tech was going to be. It feels like a second ago, in my freshman year, I was asking myself the question, “What’s next?” And in the blink of an eye, I am days out from graduation with a lifetime of memories and laughs. Outside of the Collegiate Times, I’m very appreciative of the other organizations, classes and people that I have met along the way who have positively changed me personally and professionally.

The Virginia Tech Crew Club holds a special place in my heart because I met life-long friends, appreciated the sport of rowing again and branched out when I needed it the most. Serving on the executive board allowed me to bring passion, humor and support to other Hokies trying to survive the student-athlete lifestyle. The Engagement Center for Creative Aging has become a home away from home after interning for almost

a year. The center is full of the most passionate staff members, participants who brighten anyone’s day and an inspirational director who does it all seamlessly and provides research-backed programs that impact many families throughout the New River Valley.

Courses like advanced multimedia reporting, photojournalism and digital newsroom-online directly prepared and helped me understand what it is I like to do — meeting strangers that have a story to tell and providing them a platform to do so. Furthermore, I would like to publicly thank professors Jared Woolly, Kacy McAllister, Laura Purcell, Dirk Buengel and many others I don’t have the word count to include for bringing enthusiasm, expertise and encouragement into the classroom. Supporting students in explicit ways makes our experience one hundred times better and doesn’t go unnoticed.

All of these aspects, and some others I didn’t mention, surfaced in some way in the CT newsroom. Whether that be through quick anecdotes, relating to other writers about professors, sharing reliable contacts or transforming an experience into an opinion piece — all roads lead back to the Collegiate Times.

I will miss everything about Virginia Tech and Blacksburg; specifically, being minutes away from my friends, pushing myself academically, making connections with residents and calling Southwest, Virginia “home.” Yet, I couldn’t be more thrilled to share how these past four years have changed my life for the better with whomever I meet next, wherever my next steps lie.