Writing for a campus newspaper can be difficult.
It gets hard to think critically of a university you love. It can be even harder to ask those you have come to respect questions that could result in conflict or strife.
Being a student journalist comes with drawbacks, but at the end of the day, I’ve been one to serve the Butler University community.
Good journalism demands change.
Journalists are in the position to tackle issues by uncovering problems and asking tough questions.
By simply bringing issues to light, journalists are in a peculiar position. They have the ability to start a conversation.
During my four years, I think it’s safe to say  The Collegian has started conversation.
When I covered the Student Government Association’s election season last year, I was met with both criticism and praise.
It was an opportunity to keep those in power accountable for student votes.
The conversation carried into this year, when SGA’s Election Oversight Committee took into consideration a written policy that could keep votes private.
While it was disappointing that the decision passed and the votes would never be released, it was good that there was a wider discussion on campus about the benefits and disadvantages.
When administrators cut the College of Communication’s internship coordinator position last spring, The Collegian had another opportunity to create discussion.
Letters to the president and The Collegian poured in to respond to the situation as it unfolded.
It was rewarding to see that the work our staff does each week matters.
At Butler, we are taught to think critically. We are taught to examine all sides of an issue. We are challenged to ask difficult questions.
Student journalists at The Collegian put those lessons into practice each and every week, and I am lucky to have been at the helm of that this year.