Members of the Xavierite staff The Xavierite
In the midst of my second year of college; one of my favorite artists, Taylor Swift released her “Midnights” album. This was in October of 2023, and it just so happened to be one of my first weeks working for the Xavierite.
On the album, there was a song called “You’re on Your Own, Kid.” The song’s lyrics detailed the idea of going through a barrier of challenges but still finding your way out at the end.
I didn’t realize at the time that the lyrics of that song would so perfectly describe not just my remaining time at the Xavierite, but at Saint Xavier University as a whole.
As a first-generation college student, I really had no idea what to expect when starting . Being a part of a university paper was something that had never crossed my mind, and it was something that took a lot of convincing for me to do. And although it has brought me some very stressful moments, I don’t have a single regret about my choice.
Being a part of the Xavierite has taught me some of the most important life lessons I needed to learn. Interviewing students about their opinions taught me to be confident, having to meet a hard deadline every week taught me to be productive, and facing backlash for giving students a voice taught me to never back down.
But I think the most important lesson I learned working in the Xavierite is the true importance of teamwork and friendship. The Xavierite would not be what it is today if we weren’t a team that uplifts each other every single day.
Everytime I walk into the Xavierite office, I am met by enthusiastic “hellos” and any stress I have melts away, even if for just a moment. This is the same treatment everyone gets when they walk in, and it is truly something special to witness.
Despite the jokes from outsiders about how we’re ruthless and that you should always watch what you say around us—the people I’ve met working for the Xavierite are some of the kindest people I’ve ever met, and also some of the most hard-working.
Now, only days away from crossing the commencement stage, there is one set of lyrics from “You’re on Your Own, Kid” that resonate more than ever:
“…And I saw something they can’t take away. ‘Cause there were pages turned with the bridges burned. Everything you lose is a step you take. So make the friendship bracelets, take the moment and taste it. You’ve got no reason to be afraid.”
I know these next few months of my life will be a rocky transition, but I also know I will always have a second home I can return to in the back of campus where I will always be welcomed.
As I graduate, I take with me a thousand memories; some awful, and some so beautiful I can’t even describe them. And, with the funny way time works, in a few years, I will start to forget some of these memories.
However, I know that seeing an old newspaper lying around somewhere 20 years from now will transport me right back to the time I sat in the Xavierite office and talked about things that were silly, but also so important at the same time.
Maybe someday when I get the chance to write a screenplay for a film, I’ll make the main setting a newspaper office just because it’ll make the story feel more honest and vulnerable.
The bottom line is that no matter how many years pass or where I end up in life, the Xavierite will always be a part of me, one of the parts I hold closest to my heart, and I am very grateful to have been an opinions editor for the last year and a half.
I truly never once imagined I would be writing for a university paper, and even when I finally joined, I never thought it would mean so much to me, or hurt so much to let go of. But even though this goodbye will be a little painful, it will be worth it for every good moment I’ve spent here.
And one thing I will never ever forget no matter how many years pass by is that although college can bring many moments of loneliness, my time at the Xavierite taught me that you’re not actually on your own.
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