Being one of only two reporters to have fulfilled five complete terms working for the Voice, the experiences that I have gained are important and wholesome, whether they were bitter or sweet.
All kinds of recollections come rushing through my mind and are hard to arrange or categorize in any particular order.
The bitter recollections come to mind first. There was a time when, the worst part of leaving the Ewha Voice behind during breaks was that I was going to come back. Cleaning up the mess in the office, sitting in the office for hours folding hundreds of our newspapers and putting them into envelopes to be sent, seeing the disappointed faces of my seniors as they read my sloppy articles were all some of my frustrating moments as an un-adept cub reporter.
All these were moments that taught me the value which other people and past experiences have often tried but failed to teach me: Patience. Not just of patience for others but also of having patience in myself. This learned patience was probably the carrot that prompted this writer along, but also what maintained my faith in the organization for so long.
Such patience paid off step by step, presenting me with delayed gratifications, the kind not easily found in other experiences of students today who are more prone to "instant gains," and "instant gratifications."
Listing all such rewards will most probably bore readers, but please, continue and bear with me.
For, this is where the sweeter recollections come in, those that will leave a deeper mark in my heart and mind when looking back on my years as a student. Although improvement in my writing and technical skills were very tangible and significant gains from working at the Voice, the greatest compensation and gift come no doubt from what I have gained from working with the people in the organization: people of whom I now think of with much tenderness and people who have given me a sense of importance and belonging during my college life.
Learning to respect and tolerate people from diverse backgrounds, tastes, and characters has led to a deeper level of understanding and attachment, culminating in a sense of responsibility as well.
Lightning would strike me if I said that I have been a completely dependable person when it came to meeting deadlines or the quality of work I produced. But I can say to some extent, that I have tried and strived to meet my colleage? expectations, not to let them down and show that their trust in me counted greatly in whatever I did for the organization. For the results of such efforts were more than fruitful. One compliment on my writing or other achievements at the Voice was always enough to keep me motivated for the following weeks to come.
It is somewhat saddening to realize that new cubbies will soon be recruited, further changes and progress will take place in the newspaper and the Voice will function perfectly well without me. And this time, the worst part of leaving the Ewha Voice behind is that I will never be coming back.
Yet, as John Donne once said in a celebrated poem forbidding mourning, the more virtuous people leave without sighs or tears because of the strong faith they hold in those they are leaving behind. Although I am no virtuous person, I believe that such a faith will let me walk away from Voice without undue sorrow.