{"id":4420,"date":"2021-05-23T00:03:27","date_gmt":"2021-05-23T04:03:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sullyonsports.com\/?p=4420"},"modified":"2021-05-23T00:03:27","modified_gmt":"2021-05-23T04:03:27","slug":"from-the-desk-going-the-distance","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sullyonsports.com\/?p=4420","title":{"rendered":"From the Desk: Going the Distance"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

NOTE: This article originally appeared in The Fordham Ram in November 2020.<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I came to Fordham in the fall of 2017 as a freshman who didn\u2019t know the difference between right and left. I knew I wanted to get involved with the Ram; having spent my senior year of high school as the underqualified editor-in-chief of the school newspaper, I figured I\u2019d give it a shot. Soon, I found myself copy editing from 5-7 p.m. on Tuesdays. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I knew I wanted to get involved with the sports section \u2014 the truth is, it was the only writing I felt I was capable of \u2014 and I did, with an assist from Jack McLoone, the sports editor of Volume 99. With a nudge from Jack, I decided to apply for Volume 100 as an assistant sports editor. I thought there was no chance I\u2019d actually get it; the interview went well, but I was aware of the responsibilities of being on staff, and I didn\u2019t want much part of it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

And then I got the email. Dec. 1, 2017. Upon finding out I\u2019d be an assistant sports editor for Volume 100, my reaction was not one of celebration; it was one of, \u201cWhat did I just do?\u201d After embarking on my first 11 issues in this role, I\u2019ll be honest: I thought I\u2019d be ready to quit at the end of 2018. The responsibilities were intense, and as a freshman still adjusting to college life without a ton of close friends to begin with, I wasn\u2019t sure how enamored I\u2019d be with continuing. I promised myself I\u2019d take the summer to think about it and come to a decision sometime in the fall.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Over that summer, I came to an important realization: I couldn\u2019t picture my life without the Ram. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It wasn\u2019t so much about the process of putting together a newspaper, which is fun. I realized the best part of being on staff with the Ram was being in a place with like-minded people who are trying to figure it out the same way you are. People who are subject to a windowless basement for hours each Tuesday night. And people who would do anything for you the same way you would do anything for them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Needless to say, I stayed, and I couldn\u2019t be happier with my decision. My last two years as sports editor have brought their own difficulties, COVID-19 chief among them. But our section and this newspaper have gotten through this, and I\u2019ll always be proud to be part of both. Yes, I\u2019ll miss the late-night chats and displaying my prowess in \u201cRaft Wars\u201d or \u201cOregon Trail.\u201d (For the record, the key to surviving dysentery is load management.) But I am most proud of what we have achieved since mid-March, with no sports to cover \u2014 although that will be changing just in time for me to hand this job to someone else.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That being said, it is the camaraderie that I have mentioned that I miss so much and that I have a hard time describing. I\u2019ve made so many friends through this newspaper, and I anticipate keeping them for the rest of my life. So, naturally, I have some people to thank.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

First of all, thank you to Jack McLoone. I owe most of the professional opportunities I\u2019ve gotten in the past four years to him, and that isn\u2019t hyperbole. He gave me my first opportunity to write for the Ram as a golf beat reporter, and I learned so much under his leadership as sports editor in Volume 100. To the executive boards of Volumes 100, 101 and 102 \u2014 thank you for leading us through some good times and bad times over the past few years. Most of all, thank you for trusting me with important responsibilities and helping the sports section at all times.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To the real MVPs, the copy team \u2014 thank you for being the backbone of this newspaper. Without Erica, Emma and the copy team, we are nothing. I would be remiss not to thank Vanessa, Maggie, Colette and Lindsay, our copy chiefs over the past couple of years. All of you have made me a better writer and a better person as well. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Finally, to my sports team. This is the hardest part. Dylan, I have pity for what the scores and stats page will look like a few weeks from now. In all seriousness, though, we\u2019ve known each other for a while, and it\u2019s been gratifying to see you grow into the person you\u2019ve become. Andrew, thanks for your friendship and decisive leadership as managing editor this past volume. Our late-night chats over the background noise of the midnight SportsCenter during Volume 101 are a treasured memory of my time with the Ram. And Alex, you\u2019ve been a terrific addition to our staff this past year, and I can\u2019t wait to see what you do in the next couple of years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are many more that I have missed. The Ram is such a special place, and I\u2019m going to miss it terribly. After three years on staff, I honestly thought I\u2019d be able to better convey the deep feelings I have for this newspaper better. Instead, I\u2019ll just say that to understand the greatness of this experience, you had to be there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019ve been lucky to be here the past three years, and for as much fun as I\u2019ve had, it\u2019s someone else\u2019s turn to experience what I did. I\u2019m just glad I didn\u2019t prematurely pull the plug.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

NOTE: This article originally appeared in The Fordham Ram in November 2020. I came to Fordham in the fall of 2017 as a freshman who didn\u2019t know the difference between right and left. I knew I wanted to get involved with the Ram; having spent my senior year of high school as the underqualified editor-in-chief … <\/p>\n

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