Plenty of people say they can’t get work done in their apartment because it feels too comfortable. I recently realized that’s how I’ve become with my desk in the G&B office. Student media has been my home for the last three years.
I came into this job starry-eyed. I got my start at The Daily Gamecock and started here as the Editor-in-Chief. During the summer, I was flooded with names of the people who would be my future staff. Of the 18 people, I knew three of them personally.
Somehow this group of strangers ended up being some of the most talented people I’ve ever met, and they also became some of my best friends. Many of us came in unaware of what our contributions to the magazine would look like, yet we put out four issues that we’re extremely proud of.
Heading up Garnet & Black has taught me things a class never could. Classes may teach you how to write, but they don’t teach you to put together a 48-page magazine in a few weeks.
I’ve spent countless long nights in that office. I’ve napped on that carpet. We've joked around a lot, but throughout this year, we have done plenty of work I am extremely proud of.
For this issue, we’re shedding light on some common issues that are typically told in a different way. Normally when discussing sexual assault, we don’t discuss the steps that come afterward. Hannah Jeffrey’s feature Speaking Up gives the options a survivor has if they decide to come forward. When discussing collegiate mental illness, people rarely talk about how few students actually reach out for the help that they need; my feature Chemical Reactions talks about why.
Stigmas exists because we don’t address the issue because we’re uncomfortable. What we don’t realize is that by overlooking these issues, we don’t want to admit they affect so many of us perpetuating the problem. The more we inform ourselves, the better equipped we are to deal with the problems people around us are facing.
You may have noticed neither Chemical Reactions nor Speaking Up include a firsthand account — this was on purpose. Stories like these don’t need to be personified, because either could be affecting countless people passing through our campus.
For our final issue, I am glad that we’re ending the year by filling this gap of conversation. As a writer, it’s empowering to know that I’m ending my term here as Editor-in-Chief by bringing unspoken issues into the spotlight.
