When I joined buzz my freshman year in 2o18, I had no idea that it would become a defining part of my life.

As a freshman, like many, I didn’t know much about the C-U community or the businesses and people that make it such an exciting, unique town.

But as I’ve grown with buzz and further explored everything C-U has to offer, I realized just how lucky I am to be a part of this community and amplify the voices of the people that make it so special.

I didn’t really know how much this community had to offer until I joined buzz, and it’s been so rewarding to see how the community has grown and how many people have contributed to its eclectic atmosphere.

For example, how many communities do you know that include an axe-throwing bar as well as a book-themed wine bar down the street from a candle store that had previously started out of a college apartment?

I can’t think of too many.

Though my time as buzz editor is coming to an end, my passion for the section and the C-U community will continue to linger on, and I hope that some of the change I’ve tried to create during my time as buzz editor do, too.

Something I’ve been most proud of as buzz editor has been successfully migrating our content from our old website to The Daily Illini website, which has allowed us to fully integrate with The DI and eliminate any confusion about buzz’s place in The DI, which has been a buzz goal for awhile.

I’m also incredibly proud of some of our most recent festival coverage, including Lollapalooza and the Chicago International Film Festival.

For Lollapalooza, I was able to work more closely with one of my assistants Sydney Wood and the photo editor at the time Cameron Krasucki to attend shows, conduct interviews with well-known artists and write and publish content within a timely manner.

This was one of my favorite experiences as buzz editor that gave me experience communicating with different press teams, conducting quick interviews with well-known artists and working efficiently in a small team.

The Chicago International Film Festival was a new experience for me and really exciting and different from a lot of events I’ve covered in the past. I was able to spend a few days in Chicago focused solely on watching and reviewing different movies that hadn’t officially come out in theaters yet.

But out of all the accomplishments I’m most proud of since being buzz editor, at the top of my list is seeing how much writers have grown. I’ve had the privilege to work with a lot of insanely talented and creative writers, and being able to help them in their reporting and writing has been so rewarding for me.

I’m so proud of everything buzz has achieved as a section since I’ve been involved since my freshman year. As buzz has grown and developed, so have I as a writer and a reporter.

And though finishing up my time as buzz editor and as a University student this semester is definitely bittersweet, it’s also really exciting, and I’m more than confident in buzz writers’ and the new buzz editor’s ability to further develop the section.

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