We'll always have 694

Wow, where to begin? So much has happened in the last three months: I've made friends, I've blogged, I've re-purposed television stories for the web, I've spoken several times in class. And the memories! There was that one time we hung out at that bar, and, um, that time we made burgers! Yeah!

And even though I'll probably never see most of you again, I'll never forget you, nor the important life lessons you've taught me, like how to use hot keys, that maybe there is a need for dancing in the newsroom, that adding "-ish" to words makes them funnier, and that Uggs makes boots for men. We also talked about the internet a lot.

In fact, my experience in this class has been so positive that now I only slightly hate TV news, where before I really hated it. Although I still see television news anchors as soulless automatons mindlessly reading whatever tripe their corporate masters put in front of them, I now realize that some of them probably weren't like that in college.

I've also learned that I really enjoy blogging and online media in general. There's a freedom to it that doesn't exist in more traditional forms of journalism, a break from the rigidity and staleness that plagues modern news. Although most people have already gotten sick of the word "blog," there's still a tinge of newness to it, a sense that there's a new frontier to explore and we're entering the profession at just the right time to catch the crest of the wave. As the old guard of journalism struggles to comprehend the rapidly changing media environment, they'll be forced to turn to us to save their flailing industry. I'd like to think this class has helped prepare us to be those much-needed saviors.

And so I leave you, a leaf in the wind, riding this wave where ever it may take me. I don't know where I'll land, but maybe some of you will be close by when I do. Until, much love, and farewell. We'll always have 694.