KYLEIGH PANETTA

I started writing for The Quadrangle three and a half years ago. My first article was about the opening of the Burrito Shop restaurant. Now as I write my farewell to this paper, I have less than two weeks left of my college career.

I’m proud to say that The Quadrangle was the beginning of my career as a journalist. I was able to figure out which stories were my favorite to cover and I found my writing style. I have also met some of the most driven people through this newspaper and everyone has taught me so much.

I have learned to expect the unexpected. I have learned to ask the questions that might not be obvious. I have learned to always pay attention to detail even when I’m minutes away from a deadline. I have learned that there is always a story waiting to be told.

Our goal is much larger than just printing a newspaper every week. Our goal is to tackle issues, hold people accountable, share stories and hopefully inspire people too.

Aside from The Quad, Manhattan College has given me amazing opportunities that have left me with incredible memories. I was able to study abroad in Madrid for five months to improve my Spanish. I interned at four news networks which was only possible because I was in the greatest city on the planet. I went on a L.O.V.E. trip to El Salvador where I volunteered for a week. I took classes with passionate professors who opened my eyes to new concepts and information.

I will miss Manhattan College and The Quad but I’m ready to start the next chapter of my life. Wherever my life as a news reporter takes me, I will never forget these past three and a half years. Thank you to everyone who has read my pieces, allowed me to interview them and helped me become a better journalist along the way.

ANTHONY CAPOTE

When you are a high school graduate, first walking into a college class, the whole thing can seem so big and scary that it might never end. I remember the club fair my first year, I thought to myself that I would like to join the student paper.  So I dragged my roommate to a meeting the same day.  I remember being so scared that I didn’t go back for a whole year because I frankly didn’t think I could keep up.  Then, by the end of my freshman year I had decided to double major in sociology and communication with a concentration in journalism. Having no idea what I was getting into I sat in Thom Gencarelli’s office as he lectured me about the scores of journalism students who don’t join the Quad, and who miss out on so many clips and stories because they think a student paper is a waste of time. I decided instead to jump headlong into it, and on my very first story I tagged along with Jonathan Reyes to interview Brian Cashman. I, a sophomore with no real-world experience, was shocked and scared to be standing in front of the general manager of the winningest organization in baseball history. Then I watched how flawlessly Jon handled himself.  He taught me so much in the weeks that followed about how to write news, how to be a good reporter, and essentially how to do this thing called journalism. Still I remember him telling me specific people on the Quad to read and try to be better than. To this day I read certain writers’ articles religiously, looking for any way I can get better, be better, do better.  Writing for the Quad taught me so much about myself.  It forced me to

push my limits and challenge authority. I learned how to sniff blood in the water and go after any source, no matter how much power I thought they had over me. I think most importantly, though, the Quad taught me how much I loved the Manhattan College Community.  I have learned, every time I come across a story, or get a tip form a fellow student, how deeply I care about my school, my Jasper family.

Often, I catch myself complaining about MC and the problems it faces.  After all, how could I not, I am senior and the editor of the news section.  I have simply seen too much, watched the sausage be made too many times.

And yet, every time I think about it, I realize I don’t complain because I hate MC—quite the opposite, I complain because I love this place and good, bad or otherwise it has shaped me as a person and I complain, I rabble rouse, because I know that we as a school, as a community, can be better and I refused to rest until I was sure that we had become better.

Last week we elected a new editor-in-chief at the Quad, Stephen Zubrycky who has nothing but upside, and three times a candidate for the job called me out by name as having taught them something about doing this thing we call journalism.

By far that is my greatest achievement.  I hope that the memories I leave people with, from sources I fought for to administrators I publicly criticized, are filled with moments where I tirelessly worked to be a voice for the voiceless and a watchdog over public affairs.

In the end, I think I really want to thank the Quad and thank Manhattan College for giving a place to groom myself as a reporter and fight the good fight.

As I close my very last Quad article, I want to sign off in the only way that seems appropriate: the words of news legend Edward Murrow, so here it goes: good night and good luck.