September 2023 was the first time I stepped foot in the newsroom. From the quote board to the “Best of SNO” awards, everything felt new. Of course, I had my ideas on how to contribute to the strong legacy of The Carroll News, in what was then the World Section. I came in with fresh ideas but came away with lessons I will keep for life.
My first ever article was “September’s summer review—diplomacy and politics,” where Tate Farinacci and I covered three mini-stories from that summer in the wider world. These included Russo-Ukrainian War updates, a new political bloc forming in Africa and the deadly assassinations marking the Peruvian Election of 2023. Though this piece did receive moderate attention, more importantly, the short stories connected me with the deadline and style requirements that any story from The Carroll News needs. As well, with the dozens and dozens of edits from then-Editor-in-Chief Laken Kincaid ’24, I certainly learned humility in writing as well as the importance of taking advice.
Over the following weeks, I got familiar with my fellow writers and the other editors leading The Carroll News. Besides the style and deadline responsibilities, there was a genuine sense of interest from my fellow writers in fitting my ideas into the news—an incredible example of teamwork.
After multiple solo stories, I was named the World Section’s Global South Beat Reporter. Ironically, with that position was my first real interview talking politics with Sean Freeman ’19, a Blue Streak who was seeking to get on the ballot for the 2024 Congressional elections. Then he was 700 signatures away from his goal and wanted to express why he could serve Cleveland. At that time, looking back at his Carroll years, he stressed his candidacy would be an effort to work for and with others. In those early conversations, I realized I wanted my writing to be representative of that spirit, too.
I had to put that spirit to the test by helping cover the Hamas attacks on Israel. More than anything, we had to be cautious and honest about the pain and loss felt by many in our community. We had to prioritize the feelings of others and empathize with them while staying fair and accurate.
On top of that, we had to take the actions of Blue Streaks and citizens seriously and emphasize their connection to John Carroll University. Calls for peace from faculty and prayer sessions were stressed as they were both prevalent on campus and responsible reactions to the violence. Overall, it was then I learned what it meant to make my coverage meaningful to Blue Streaks. Luckily, I had a great team to teach and support me. Days later, I was not surprised when that coverage won a “Best of SNO” award.
Following that semester, into the spring of 2024, I was able to cover drinking safety and spring break reflections, Egyptian elections in the eyes of JCU’s Copts, as well as many more articles, now as World Section Editor. These included controversy at the Cleveland Museum of Art, religious debates on and off campus as well as the highlight of my semester: getting up close and personal with the protest movements for civil rights at Kent State and Case Western Reserve Universities.
During that time, we did begin to shift as a section, focusing more on local affairs rather than international events, as the tried and true method I learned earlier of focusing on how Blue Streaks can connect with these issues helped me hone in on community rather than world coverage. As such, the section was rebranded from the World Section to the Community Section, starting in the fall of 2024.
This last year has been the most educational for me as I tried to focus on the news over other extracurriculars to put out my best work and support those looking to also cover the community, which included at one point over half a dozen part-time and full-time writers in the section.
With their help, I was able to cover the new Cleveland flag movement, developments in higher education legislation and even interview an ambassador meeting with Blue Streaks in Washington, D.C. This was only possible due to the consistent efforts and patience of the section’s writers, as well as my fellow editors, especially since at the time I was working sometimes 35 hours a week for the local member of Congress.
Now, in my final semester, I have been able to produce some of my best work. I proudly covered divisive debates on Israel-Palestine in Cuyahoga County and how JCU’s Tuohy Center offers an alternative dialogue. I also covered peaceful Tesla protests in Lyndhurst, as well as following the Immigration and Customs Enforcement raid on Cilantro Taqueria in Cleveland Heights. Through breaking coverage and integrating JCU contacts, the piece won a “Best of SNO” award.
Throughout my fifty-plus stories and many months of effort, there have been ups and downs, mistakes and lessons. What has not changed and what I have stressed in writing is that I have had a team to teach me as well as writers to rely on my whole time. There are too many people to thank, but all of my fellow team members have made my experience at The Carroll News possible. I am incredibly thankful. Without the invitation to write in the first place from the team, I would have never been here.
There is also the lesson to be a man for and with others in all of that I do. I may have tried to exemplify this in my writings, covering as fairly as I can what is meaningful to our readers, but this has been a lesson to take into the rest of my life. It is an ideal I have learned here at John Carroll University and I have had an incredible time practicing here in The Carroll News.
