Column: Combat homesickness by embracing your new school, town and community
"I was miserable not because Chapel Hill couldn't be home, but because from the moment I stepped on campus, I decided it wouldn’t."
"I was miserable not because Chapel Hill couldn't be home, but because from the moment I stepped on campus, I decided it wouldn’t."
"Take it from me, a recent grad who is very sad to be leaving this little slice of light blue heaven — you will be OK. I know, I know, everyone has told you this. And while the first couple months might take some adjusting, I suggest that you find your home — a place where you can be your truest self."
"I’ve lived in the Chapel Hill-Carrboro area since I was four years old. The first time I was allowed to wander Franklin Street completely alone, I was 12, and it was the first time I felt like I had some semblance of freedom. Now, at 20, the novelty of the ability to explore this area on my own terms has never worn off, and I’m constantly finding new places to deem 'my spot.'"
"As someone who was described as 'really using the system' by an academic advisor last year for how many times I changed classes and majors, I had no idea what to do with myself, but I now feel like I’ve grown to reach a point of peace after being allowed to explore and make mistakes."
"I was 18 years old and I didn’t know how to make a friend. How do I continue a conversation beyond establishing our names, years, majors, residence halls and hometowns? How can I tell the difference between friendly pre-class chat and a burgeoning friendship? Is there a difference?"
"The Editorial Board discussed its main grievances with UNC and the improvements we hope to come back to in the fall."
"Herein lies the conclusion of my time at the DTH and my farewell column. As the last day of classes approaches, I can feel my time here slipping through my fingers."
"It’s going to be hard for me to let go, but I know that I’ll be leaving this newsroom and this school with something to show for myself and with an impact on others."
"Sooner or later, it’ll sink in that this might be among the most fulfilling things I’ll ever do and that it’s surely all downhill from here."
"It started with a mini bubble gum machine, a disco ball and a small green stegosaurus. They were the seeds of our trinket garden, and physical representations of our main goal: to make the newly-minted Lifestyle desk fun and eclectic."
"I owe so much to The Daily Tar Heel. It allowed me to establish myself professionally while immersing myself in my community in a way unlike any other."
"I know that I have created memories, safe spaces, and planted seeds for the people that come after me to thrive and make the DTH a better place.""
"I will forever be grateful to the people who leaned in when things got tough. The people who were ready to drop everything to chase a story. A piece of my heart will always remain at 109 E. Franklin St. once I hand over my keys and clean out my desk."
"While it’s finally time to finish out my years at the newsroom, I can’t seem to find a way to finish up this column. How to wrap up three years of bylines and dozens of bell dings that ring through the office after print is submitted."
"Putting dozens of college students in a room together for hours on end guarantees you’ll hear some great music — some you know, some you’ve never heard of before."
"I never liked farewell columns when I was at The Daily Tar Heel. They always seemed too self indulgent — no offense to my wonderful peers that have written plenty of these over the years — considering that most of our readers don’t know or care about who is producing the news they read."
"The job hasn’t been perfect, and as my friends know, my hours are irregular and my weekends have been filled with sports — but I wouldn’t change it for the world."
"If our campus wasn’t open, we wouldn’t have our own personal emporium to venture through after class."
"Everyone in the DTH office has taught me something. I barely knew how to get to the office before I was an editor, and now walking in feels like home."
"Many lifelong American citizens who demand that their opinion be heard first have never experienced true oppression — the type of oppression that plagues other parts of the world in real, tangible ways."