By Mac Pomeroy
Somehow this semester was even more exhausting than the last. Any remaining energy from spring 2020 was drained, leaving behind the desire for something to improve soon. Classes dragged on forever, deadlines felt now or never and there was hardly enough air to breathe. Or, at least that is how it felt for me.
Since the beginning of the pandemic, I have been on campus once, and that was to go to the Jambar office. This isn’t ideal in general, but it also has not helped these columns.
While I would not consider myself a campus life columnist, I take inspiration from the world around me. However, lately that world has been very small.
Usually, I made a habit of going around campus and seeing what students could use some advice or encouragement on. Now, I am sitting in my bedroom where the only comment needed is telling my cat to stop eating random things she finds on the floor. That isn’t exactly news-worthy material.
But, I still worked at it. Right now, we are in a constant rotation of life-changing circumstances. We are still stuck in the panic of the past year but also trying to move forward. This uncertainty makes our jobs and tasks far more difficult.
I was never really sure what an article would be about each week. I adore this job — it means the world to me. However, when your world is a bubble, it is hard to see through it. But I did, and I wrote an article. And another the next week. And another. And another. All the way to this point, despite being stuck in circumstances.
I won’t lie — maybe some of these have not been my best. Some may have felt a bit repetitive or like I was rambling. But I did it, and that is what matters.
I am proud of the work I have done this semester. The persistence shown to keep reaching forward and trying to do better. Even if the articles weren’t the best, I have grown a lot as a writer.
Even in the face of struggles, when we feel like our work is not shining the way we wish for it to, we need to be able to stop and look back. Be proud of what you have done and all you have overcome. Admire the work on its own, and appreciate how much you have grown.
I am eager for next semester, though. I intend to be on campus much more. I hope that through working more closely with the rest of our Jamily (Jambar family), I can do even better than I have before.
Keep your heads up, Penguins. We are Youngstown, and we are strong. Keep pride in what you do, and keep working hard. Till next time.