Bidding farewell to the TJ staff

Tiffany Barkley 

Managing editor 

The end of my time at The Johnsonian has come. 

I’ve designed my last front page, checked my last jump and written my last story here. 

When I came to Winthrop, I knew I wanted to be part of the student newspaper. 

I remember sitting on a 70s-style couch in a basement office during my first Johnsonian workshop before classes even started my freshman year. I was listening to one of our journalism professors talk about news design. 

Feeling uncomfortable enough in a room full of people I didn’t know, I suddenly noticed ants crawling on my legs. But I didn’t dare move. I didn’t want to interrupt the session. I just discreetly flicked the ants off and continued listening. 

That’s the last time I ever felt uncomfortable in The Johnsonian office. Since that workshop, the office has always felt like home. 

It’s not the physical space that makes The Johnsonian feel like home. (I’ve spent my senior year in a brand-new Johnsonian office, free of any 70s furniture.) 

It’s the people I’ve worked with over the years who made The Johnsonian special. We all take pride in what we produce each week. The fact that we all share a love of storytelling brings us together. We’re one big storytelling family. 

We tell stories about student organizations, budget cuts, crimes, athletics and plays.

We eat together. We laugh together. We work together. 

And at the end of each week, we have a 12-page product to show for our work. 

I want to thank all the staff members who have taken pride in The Johnsonian. You make this publication what it is. 

To all my fellow Johnsonian seniors (Anna, Jessica, Shatesha, Brittany, Brantley, Sarah, Kathleen and Stephanie): I hope you do what makes you happy in life. It’s been a pleasure to work with you all.