Firsts are a scary thing for the most part, whether it be a first job, a first date, or a first day at school. However, the scariest first is figuring out whether or not you fit in with a certain group of people. The Spud is a particular group of people with varying personalities, but we all seem to complement one another.

For me, my first year in journalism was super easy. The people that were a part of the group made it easier for me to feel comfortable in all that I did. Writing for the Spud is a form of expressing things you feel are important, even if someone else might not be interested in the same thing you are.

Next year as a junior, I have a load of core classes that must be taken in order to graduate. With all of these core classes, upcoming juniors have a limited amount of chosen electives. For me the process of requesting classes was pretty hard. With my schedule being so full, I would have had to give up journalism, which was something I did not want to do. Journalism gave me a better understanding of other subjects in the world, and better knowledge of how to write in general. It taught me how to communicate better with people I usually wouldn’t talk to. So giving something like that up is hard for anyone. While I was requesting classes I decided to drop the class in order to get classes I really wanted, but in the end I realized in the long run I would enjoy and benefit from journalism far more than other electives.

Mrs. Digmann and this group made it possible for us to go to Lincoln, to explore the world of journalism, and for me to experience Lincoln for the first time. So, if you are thinking of joining the Spud, do it! It’ll help you in your core classes, especially English. Plus journalism will bring you a new group of friends. My favorite part of journalism was all the memories I created with all of the staff writers. Going to the journalism conference at the beginning of the year was definitely a bonding experience, and something I will never forget.

I almost had to give something up that I’ve grown to love, and I’m glad I’ll be back for another year. When giving up something you really have to look at what you are giving up and it can be rough. I reflected on all that I would have to give up and realized I had a far way to go in journalism, and that I wasn’t done just yet.