Remembering the past while preparing for the future

Jessica Pickens 

A&E editor 

I was a shy, quiet freshman when I got lost on my way to my first Johnsonian meeting. 

It was one of my first weeks at Winthrop, and I had never heard of Bancroft and definitely didn’t know where the basement was. 

Little did I know that September evening in 2007 the slightly smelly, cozy Bancroft basement would hold some of my most treasured memories at Winthrop.

As a freshman I didn’t want to come to Winthrop. I hated it here but not because my roommate sucked, the food was bad or any other petty reason freshmen give when they transfer; it was because I had a close group of friends in high school and no one was measuring up to them. 

I learned that making friends in college was similar to shopping: you try people on to see if they don’t fit, you hang them back up and moved on to a more comfortable size. 

That comfort came in the form of the mass communication department and The Johnsonian. I met my roommate of three years, Brittany Guilfoyle, in introduction to mass communication fall of freshmen year. 

Alumna and current reporter at The Herald, Nicole Smith, and I bonded over our love for classic films as she taught me how to approach interviews without freaking out when I started at The Johnsonian.

The controversial Eddie Scarry became one of my favorite people as we gossiped and joked in the newspaper office. I’m still not sure why so many people hated him. I never thought his columns were a big deal, maybe because I agreed with most of them.

Through my classes and my work at The Johnsonian, I found a wonderful group of people that I call my family. During a difficult break up, I walked into the office and before saying anything, many of them knew something was wrong and tried to help. If that isn’t family and friendship, I don’t know what is.

When I became the arts and entertainment editor, I knew our art, music and theatre departments were good, but I never realized how many highly qualified individuals worked at Winthrop.

Music professor Ronald Parks’ music is played all over the country; Jim Connell’s ceramics are showcased in juried exhibits more than any other artist and dance instructor Sandra Neels danced with the prestigious Merce Cunningham Company. These are just a few of the many talented professors at Winthrop.

Free pizza on Monday nights, meeting interesting people on campus and mingling with friends while laying out pages are just a few of the things I will miss when I graduate and leave The Johnsonian.

I’ve learned more at the paper than I ever could have practiced by writing articles in a classroom. 

Working for The Johnsonian gave me extra spending money and, more importantly, got me a summer internship at The Shelby Star this summer. 

Working for the paper gave me pride in my university, invaluable experience and the best group of friends a girl could have.  Thanks to everyone for the best times and  for helping me grow.