Pine Needle editor bids farewell

By Nathan Walls
Editor

It has been an eventful year to say the least. I got engaged, reunited with one of my best friends, made more improvements to The Pine Needle, worked hard at all of those things and am now ready to leave this position to the next person who is willing to put forth the effort that it has taken to make this newspaper a success. The happiness I received from those accomplishments made them the most important events of my college years thus far. Most of my experiences as editor are something that I am proud of and I would now like to recognize those who helped me along the way.

My fiancée, friends and family have been very helpful and supportive of me since I have worked for The Pine Needle and they have made the job easier and more enjoyable. They have offered me ideas and insight that I have tried to use constructively and hopefully it helped. Everyone of you mean a lot to me and I thank you for everything.

I want to thank God for placing me in America, where almost anyone can get an education. I also thank him for putting me in North Carolina, one of the most beautiful places in the world, with the mountains, piedmont and coastal plains. He has been here for me and has helped me encounter tasks that I thought were too great.

The editors of “real” publications who have allowed my work to appear in their newspaper or magazine have provided me with a nice portfolio for my future.

My advisor Dr. Judy Curtis and fellow mass communications professor Dr. Tony Curtis have been very helpful in giving constructive criticism and advice on newspaper and journalism issues. The entire Mass Communications Department has been great. Other teachers at UNCP have also offered feedback that has helped me.

Mrs. Sara Oswald taught assistant editor Mark Schulman and I layout techniques for Adobe PageMaker, which we have carried to the rest of the staff. Mr. Lawrence Locklear also helped the newspaper get a strong start this year with his assistance to the website.

I am thankful that this university has a newspaper; otherwise, I probably wouldn’t have come here and met some very important people in my life.

Most of our sources have been helpful and Chancellor Allen Meadors has been one of the best people to provide quotes and other information. Director of Student Activities Abdul Ghaffar is another great source of information along with Assistant Director of Student Activities James Bass, who has also provided us with countless story ideas. I can’t forget the SGA, Special Dial Building Committee, Physical Plant Director Larry Freeman, Campus Police, Office of University Relations, Sports Information Office and athletic coaches, either. Athletics Director Dan Kenney seems to always help us in anyway he can. The students, faculty and staff have been helpful in providing us ideas, also. Thanks for helping us do our jobs and giving us facts.

Every person who has ever worked on this newspaper staff has helped in some way. To the editors on the staff currently, your work, talent and insight make you all capable, in my opinion, of one day working for a “real” publication. Other staff members have that same potential, too, and I thank them for their persistence.

Personally, I feel like my education from The Pine Needle is sufficient enough to help me in a real world job and that is the most important element I can take from here.
Lastly, I didn’t purposefully leave anyone off this list. I thank those who I have forgotten.
I wish all of you luck and hope that you fulfill your dreams, whatever they may be. Thanks for allowing me to be your editor. Take care.