Staffer says goodbye

By Tina Ray
Staff Writer

According to an old proverb, "Every goodbye ain't gone." Well, sometimes, it is. And that's not necessarily a bad thing.

I've enjoyed my time at UNCP immensely. When I first returned to college, I worried about getting back in the habit of studying. But, I'd forgotten one very important factor: I love learning. The mind is ripe for embracing new ideas, conquering new frontiers.

I believe that a person may be in danger of knowing too little, but never in danger of knowing too much.

And so, I've tried, like a sponge to soak up every concept, every tidbit of information that I could learn about the medium of print: From the history of the first colonial newspapers to contemporary newspapers that appear online, from the guidelines of the Associated Press Stylebook to media law and ethics.

As a non-traditional student returning to UNCP, print journalism has been my focus for the past year. On many occasions, my children have paid close attention to the fact that mama has had to do "homework." Ultimately, I hope that I've done more modeling of learning than talking or that my actions speak louder than words. My husband has wondered why I've spent so much time in front of the computer, but he has respected the commitment to my studies and remembers from his own return to school that nothing worth having comes easily.

Think of journalism as a ladder that touches the voice of God in the sky. I've enjoyed climbing every rung, reaching towards the voice which speaks for the underprivileged in society, the forgotten masses.

Helen Keller expressed a belief that I subscribe to, "When one door of happiness closes, another opens; but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one which has been opened for us."

"Every goodbye ain't gone," but when it is, it doesn't have to be sad. This goodbye is gone. I am happy to have been here and I'm happy to leave.