As graduation approaches, parting Foghorn staff members take a moment to reflect on their experience at the paper and at USF.

Nureen Khadr, Editor in Chief, International Studies major
I graduated from high school knowing that I wanted to become involved with the campus newspaper at USF. I remember being a first-semester-freshman at involvement fair and making a beeline for the Foghorn table and writing my name down on their recruitment sheet. After a semester of pitching and submitting opinion editorials, Vicente Patiño, the opinion editor at the time, approached me about joining the staff as his deputy to be trained as his replacement for the following academic year. Since that moment, past and present Foghorn staff members became my on-campus family, especially since I had been a commuter for my first three years at USF. I actually looked forward to driving from San Jose every Sunday morning for layout sessions in the office: blaring music, chatting with my friends, and coming up with punny headlines.

I am now finishing my third semester as editor in chief of the paper and my eighth semester on its staff. The Foghorn was a source of both stress and joy, but more than that it has prepared me in more ways than one for what I will face after I graduate. Beyond honing my writing skills, conflict resolution and staff management became central to the work that I was doing. I learned that the newspaper would be left alone until it was seen as an opportune battleground for students and professors to leverage their opinions or causes. Its print presence has been debated since I’ve been on staff and I know it will continue to be debated as we move further into the digital age. I only hope that students and faculty learn to cherish what it means to have a student newspaper that has been archived in our library since 1903; I look forward to visiting USF in the coming years and being able to nostalgically pick up a copy, remembering my own treasured time on staff.

A huge shout out to the Foghorn family that has supported me in so many ways these past four years and I wish Katie Ward, the incoming editor in chief, all the best. From the day I hired her, I’ve watched her grow in confidence in her leadership and writing. I have no doubt that she will live up to the expectations and accountability that comes with having your name at the top of the staff masthead.

John Holton, Sports Editor, Media Studies Major
I can easily say that my time spent at the Foghorn was the best extracurricular activity I’ve had while attending USF. I have learned just as much from working at this paper as I have in any class I’ve taken, and I’m certain that the experiences I’ve had here will continue to shape and influence me throughout the rest of my life. It has truly been a privilege to work with so many creative and inspired people, many of whom have become some of my closest friends at this University. Although my tenure at the Foghorn is coming to an end, I will be eternally grateful for having been able to take part in creating something as wonderful as this paper.

Antara Murshed, Opinion Editor, Environmental Science Major
My involvement with the Foghorn quickly escalated from a small presence to a complete takeover of my life at USF. I started submitting articles for Scene and Opinion very sporadically as a sophomore and always found myself enjoying writing for the paper. I never considered a deeper commitment with the paper until a deputy editor position opened up. I applied on a whim and ended up finding the job I’m passionate about. Being a section editor means having to be on constant vigilance for new writers, spending countless hours in the Foghorn office editing, writing, and working on layout. Running a section of a newspaper means constant deadlines, constant stress, but it also meant having constant support and camaraderie from my fellow editors. I definitely felt like I died every week during my preparation for each issue. Yet, my love for this job only grew with every passing issue. I have learned so much from this job and I know I’ll be leaving with a collection of real world experiences. Having this job helped me realize that I love being an editor and a writer and I hope to further pursue this after my time at USF.