As her time with The Sentinel as Editor-in-Chief comes to a close we look upon Brie Buckfelder’s experience.
I joined The Sentinel in spring 2021 and initially applied to be a sports writer. I was a nervous wreck about it having never written about sports before, but I had a strong interest in it. Being skeptical of my skills, it took me a half hour to work up the courage to submit my application!
Imagine my surprise when Alex, our then editor-in-chief, offered me the position of sports editor during an interview. I was in over my head, and frequently joke that I was the least qualified sports editor this paper has ever seen, but I quickly learned a main core belief of The Sentinel is that teamwork makes the dream work.
In 2021, The Sentinel was still coming back from COVID-19, and Alex and our managing editor Emily were tasked with training an entirely brand new team of editors. The group of us came into this together and figured it out. Somehow, we got a paper out every other week.
Through the process, my fellow editors became some of my best friends and the first friends I would make in college. Having been homeschooled in high school, joining The Sentinel was my first real opportunity in a long time to be surrounded by a group of people going through similar life milestones, all working towards a common goal of printing a newspaper.
Not to get too sappy, but I believe that being a young adult is a funny thing. In the world, you’re not treated like a full grown-up, nor are you treated like a little kid. For a lot of us, there’s a weird purgatory you get stuck in regarding responsibility.
The Sentinel, to me, always felt like a bright spot within that purgatory. The Sentinel has always been a group of teenagers and 20-somethings tasked with managing and maintaining a legacy as old as the university itself, often as one of the first “real-world” responsibilities we encounter in college. It’s daunting if you think about it too much.
Within that experience, you’re bound to mess up and get things wrong, but you learn from them.
Following that first semester as sports editor, I became managing editor and later editor-in-chief. I believe that I have grown up tremendously in my time with The Sentinel. I feel closer to being a real, full grown-up than I did on the night that I applied here and I know that this place had a lot to do with it.
One of my favorite parts has been getting to watch other people grow up here too. I saw Henry grow from an eager freshman writer to the best managing editor ever, I saw Mariam grow from the youngest on the staff to the wisest with words and Emma became one of the most strong businesswomen I have ever met. I have watched countless writers, photographers and editors grow into new roles and new careers and become the best versions of themselves possible.
Alex once said that you don’t join The Sentinel without being a little weird. I agree with that statement wholeheartedly and also believe that you don’t leave The Sentinel without being a little wiser.
Thank you all for continuing to read The Sentinel, I know that the best of this paper is yet to come.
