Senior Goodbye: Kenny’s Farewell to The Oracle

Smell you later Oracle.

The time has come for me to bid you all a fair adieu. This semester, I had to fly a little bit under the radar, and I didn’t say goodbye because I knew it wasn’t the time yet. I made sure to give y’all some honorable mentions from time to time this semester, but I’m back — kind of like a one-night-only meet-and-greet in a sketchy alley. I’m here to buckle up at the table and copyedit with you all again, excited to share some laughs and hopefully one last butterfly time.

I guess I’ll start my letter with a little bit of lore. I transferred to New Paltz after COVID-19, following a man who promptly broke up with me two months after I moved here. I guess I sound a bit bitter — I was bitter. At the time I thought it was because I was scared of losing him, but in reality, I was scared of losing a safety net. No, I didn’t immediately run to him two months after we met; I’m not that kind of girl. We had already been together long-distance for a year, but the universe knew I needed to enter the next chapter of my life alone, with no distractions from the lessons life was going to teach me. 

I joined The Oracle because I was an anxiety ridden mess. College is hard at first and it doesn’t get easier each time you start again. Change is happening constantly, and we need to learn how to deal with these changes at alarmingly fast rates. It’s hard because we’re at a phase where we are not quite adults, but also not quite children anymore and navigating this “second puberty” takes time. After failing two other times, I knew that I wasn’t going to make the same mistakes I made at my old schools. I wasn’t going to let my lack of confidence get in the way of trying to become a human again, so I did something I knew was going to be a challenge for me.

Before The Oracle, I never wrote publicly. I wasn’t part of my high school newspaper, but I figured since I’m majoring in media, it would make sense to join one of the media clubs campus had to offer. I didn’t know anything about video editing or how the radio worked. I wanted to try something new, but WFNP and Hawk Studios felt too challenging and scary. I figured I’ve been writing for school my whole life, and I want something more to show for it. I wanted an opportunity to write things that I enjoyed and learn more about it from students who were working adjacently. 

This club has brought me some of my most favorite college memories whether it was while I was out in the field covering a story or being locked up in the office editing away into the wee hours of the night. Not only did this club give a purpose to my writing, but it also filled me with a sense of purpose too ­— not necessarily to be a journalist, but to be a part of a bigger project with a group of talented individuals. College continued to be stressful and scary, but I learned how to navigate it. My first semester here, The Oracle office felt like a little club house where I could turn my brain off and not think about anything else except my article. I know that The Oracle not only shaped my time here, but will shape who I am going to become. 

As I write this, I’m terrified to graduate. It has been a privilege working on The Oracle with all the opportunities I have gotten and achievements I’ve made. It’s scary to think in three weeks all that will change. I can’t wait to take what I’ve learned with me as I write the next chapter of my life.

Dear Lilly,

Thank you for being one of my best friends and such a great editor. We missed you so much in Prague, but I made sure no one forgot about you. You are one of my favorite writers and I know that you are going to do amazing things for this paper and beyond. You are kind, hard-working and dedicated to everything that you do, making sure to always put 100% into the work that you produce — that is your recipe for success. I’ll miss you so much when I’m gone. I can’t wait to see you on my TV screen, my reality TV princess.

Dear Sam,

You are sooooo pretty and cool and awesome. I loved working with you. I have always admired your professionalism and the work you put into your craft. Good luck after graduation. Please remember me when you are famous.

Dear Gabby and Zoe,

 Good luck with everything post-graduation! It’s been real, it’s been fun, it’s been real fun. I can’t wait to stalk you guys on LinkedIn every six months.

For my final remarks: 

HAGS <3 I love you all, and thank you again for sharing this time with me. It will be deeply cherished.

Kenny out —