Commentary
Part Deux
For months, my mom had suggested that I check out Ohio University because she heard they had a good journalism program. I decided to look up Ohio University and she was right, again.
With this in my mind, my new plan was to go to Sinclair for a year and then transfer into Ohio University’s journalism program. There was just one problem, with the deadline for application being on March 1, 2008, I wouldn’t be able to meet the proper requirements.
I was devastated by the idea of having to spend another year in Dayton, but it was in my best interests. Since I would have to spend another year at Sinclair, I thought I should try to get a job with The Clarion. The job would give me the necessary tools I needed to get into Ohio University.
I had planned to apply in the fall of 2008 being that I hadn’t taken a journalism course, but during spring quarter I saw an ad in The Clarion for reporters, so I went to the office to pick up an application. I filled out the application and turned it in the same day.
Assistant Editor Rusty Pate interviewed me and a week later the advisor of The Clarion, Sandy Hilt, along with Rusty, interviewed me. Shortly afterward, I was given my first assignment, which was to interview the Chair of the Nursing department, Gloria Goldman, at the time. I read previous stories in The Clarion to help me write my first news article. After writing several articles for The Clarion, I was officially a staff writer for the newspaper.
Fast forward to now and you have a news editor for The Clarion whose grade point average could be better and is as uncertain of where college he’s going to as he was when he graduated from high school. What once was a clear-cut decision has been muddled with the uncertainty of the future.
Ohio University is still in the picture, but due to some unforeseeable circumstances – my parents getting divorced – I seem to be in a tailspin, at the moment. With the changes that will be happening, I’m thinking that maybe finding a school closer to home – Ohio University is about two and a half hours away, whereas the University of Cincinnati and Ohio State University are about an hour away – may be a better option.
I tend to daydream about the future, but this is the first time in my life I’m not looking forward to it. The next few months look to be too difficult for a child to handle. Whether I want to come to terms with it or not, the end of my childhood is near.