The typical “last column” is a chance for an editor to say goodbye and talk about their time at La Verne, Campus Times, etc. You know, all that sappy goodness.
Most often the topic of these “last columns” is in some way or another about moving on. But at this time I’d rather not do that, so this is just about all you’re getting from me in that respect.
I’d like to say I’m leaving the Campus Times as a boycott because there is no longer a men’s volleyball team to write about in the spring, but that’s just not true (although the sentiment remains). The truth is I’ve done my time, hopefully made an impact and it’s time to leave.
I’ve enjoyed my time on staff, and believe me I’m going to miss it like crazy, but I’m going to have something I haven’t had in a long time. And that is well, time itself. At least I hope I’ll have some free time what with senior project and all that.
In trying to figure out what else to say in this column, I wanted my last words to be something that I could be remembered for. And I think randomness is just the trick to accomplish that feat. (Although I’d probably prefer to be remembered for intelligence and insight, I’m accepting the fact that I will more likely be remembered for my randomness and pointless rambling.)
I’m not sure if I’ve done my fair share of complaining this semester, although some may disagree. Either way, I have a couple gripes left that never really warranted more space than I have here, so here we go.
The first thing I’d like to address is Ken Jennings. You know, the Jeopardy winner who finally lost this week? I’m not sure exactly what my complaint is here. I never watched during his 74-game winning streak, but the attention alone drove me crazy.
I guess he should be commended for being so knowledgeable and that he plans to donate some of his winnings to his church, but the fact that he’s writing a book and planning a game “Can You Beat Ken?” just doesn’t sit right.
Besides that I heard he used to write trivia questions. Shouldn’t that automatically disqualify him? I just thought it was annoying they didn’t put a limit on how many shows or how much money he could win. Plus, he reminds me of Dave Foley, and that’s just weird.
So I read in the news the other day that there’s a bunch of companies trying to make money off counterfeit “Livestrong” bracelets. I find this just outright wrong. The Lance Armstrong Foundation has sold millions of these bracelets to help benefit cancer survivors and now people think they can benefit from this by selling knock-offs for triple the price? Some people have no morals. (OK, this may warrant more column space, but I’ve made my commitment to randomness today.)
And since when does Christmas start in October? Oh wait, always. Is it really necessary to start decorating before the jack-o-lanterns are burned out? Can’t we get through Thanksgiving before the annoying Christmas songs hit the airwaves? I’d be thankful for that. Not that I don’t love the holiday, but New Years is really my favorite and not just because of the excitement, but because it’s a time for celebrating the past year and looking forward to starting over in a new year (a.k.a. moving on…oops). In thinking about this recently, I’ve realized I need to take this perspective about life after college. I need to celebrate what I’ve done and get excited about starting fresh and what’s yet to come. I can’t spend time worrying.
Well, that’s all for me as EIC. I’d like to say farewell to Campus Times. It’s been my life for the last three years and it’s been a mix of emotions. But like I said, I’m going to miss it like crazy. It’s been a great experience. Thanks to my faithful readers. I hope I’ve succeeded in entertaining and enlightening you. If not, oh well, I had fun.
Chrissy Zehrbach, a senior journalism major, is editor in chief of the Campus Times. She can be reached by e-mail at sqweet@aol.com.
Journalism operations manager at the University of La Verne. Production manager and business manager of the Campus Times.
