By Spencer de Tenley, Staff Writer

I applied to over 17 universities as a senior in high school with only a single one being in the Midwest. Yearning to escape my home in North Carolina and spend the next four years in a notable metropolis like New York was all I wanted. Where did I find myself instead? Xavier University in Cincinnati, Ohio. 

I remember sobbing my eyes out since I wasn’t somewhere “cool” and especially since I was moving to Ohio. As I look back, my sentiment has not changed all that drastically, but Xavier taught me to appreciate the Midwest. 

I came into college as an undecided major not knowing what I wanted to do at all. While some of this ideology still remains, I am forever grateful to the mathematics department for reeling me in during my first year and allowing me to blossom. 

Xavier has let me stay in Cincinnati every summer I’ve been here. Whether that be with the Center for Faith and Justice’s Summer Service Internship or research with math faculty, both experiences I look back on fondly. 

Curiosity might’ve killed the cat, but it’s what drove my experience at Xavier. Early in my first year a friend of mine mentioned Newswire. I had never thought about journalism and didn’t really have an interest in it, but she mentioned that there was a radio broadcast, “Newswire Live,” and multiple podcasts that I could be involved with through Newswire. 

When I signed up for my first song recommendations section, I remember absolutely sh*tting bricks. I walked into the recording session nervous, knowing only one other person with my script in front of me. 

After we did the episode, I remember the multimedia managing editor at the time praising me for my delivery and my script. While such a little gesture, it’s what convinced me to keep coming back and inspired me to undertake his role the next year. 

Now, while Newswire’s multimedia is but a figment of the imagination today, three years ago it was blossoming. I tried to push the department to new heights which would ultimately be thwarted by a budget cut the following year. 

Without this setback though, I don’t believe I could’ve helped in spearheading the complete revamping of Newswire’s organization. “Newswire 2.0” as it was dubbed was met with lots of mixed emotions, but at its core, I think we all knew Newswire had to adapt to the digital landscape soon. 

With a rocky start, it wasn’t until Editor-in-Chief Katie Sanchez returned from her semester abroad that we worked together to transform Newswire into what it is today. 

I am forever grateful to the Newswire family, to the leadership that came before me who created the community I came to cherish, John Stowell — our advisor who has been a mentor and voice of reason since the dawn of time — and to the doors Newswire has opened for me. 

Without Newswire I wouldn’t have the connections with so many of Xavier’s administrators I do today. Without Newswire, I wouldn’t have met some of the most incredible people. And most importantly without Newswire I wouldn’t have grown to like the Midwest. 

I still struggle with the Midwest from time to time. Cincinnati certainly isn’t New York City nor Los Angeles, but it was the perfect place to call home for four years. 

As I look forward to the future I am eager to join the workforce while staying in the Midwest. I’ll make it to the big cities of my dreams one day, but for now I just want to cherish the process, so thank you Xavier and thank you Newswire especially for letting me flourish.