Goodbye from graduating staff

nights distracting EIC Rachel and Managing Editor

Anakin, requesting “Man or a Muppet” on KTRM and laughing at my inadequacy in using InDesign.

I had plenty of impactful experiences away from this desk as well. For one of my first assignments, I went to the candlelight vigil for Breonna Taylor and listened to students describe the struggles of being a person of color on this campus and in Kirksville. I talked to alumni about coming back to college after fighting in the Vietnam War and trying to deal with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.

GENEVIEVE TLUSTOS Former Editor-in-Chief

As the new Editor-in-Chief takes her place at the traditional EIC desk, I find myself back in a familiar place — my old features and opinions editor desk.

Here I watched as an assistant as features editor Erica designed pages, joking about using the “chiller” font for headlines. I sat here watching Managing Editor Beth and EIC Ryan work and admiring how much they knew, how much older and wiser they were. Here I spent work

As I reflect on my time, I am overwhelmed with gratitude. I am grateful for all the incredible people of Kirksville who welcomed me as a journalist and a Kirksville resident. I’m thankful for the Truman administration who made time for me, who were kind to me and cared about my experience as a student. I’m grateful for all my amazing professors here, especially from the communication department and for my supervisor Dave from the Career Center for always helping me grow as a person.

Most of all, I thank everyone from the Index who invested in me, from Ryan and Beth encouraging me at the very beginning to former Editor-in-Chief Rachel, who saw potential and skill in me that I did not. Thanks to our adviser Don, of course, for letting me constantly burst into his office and ask too many questions. Thanks to Lillie for doing a fantastic job and taking the initiative to get things done. To Sami for persisting when it’s hard and for your incredible patience with us. To Matt for making working here 10 times more fun. And thank you to Sydney for having my back and helping me get things done. I know you will do a great job at the Index, and I am excited for what you have planned.

To my staff you are incredible. I am proud of the work we have done this year. The Index is such a powerful force to hold others accountable and to give the voiceless a voice.ToTruman students, be grateful for the amazing community you have here. People are rooting for you, and though you may think Kirksville is small, there are a wealth of people to talk to and experiences you have yet to have, so go out and find them.

For my next steps, I will work at the Jefferson City News Tribune this summer and study abroad in the fall. I plan to pursue a career in journalism after that.

Nearly three years ago, I joined the Index team as a sophomore for the same reason I am sure many of my colleagues joined — to serve as a scholarship job. I had always been interested in writing for a living and saw a role with the Index as the perfect opportunity to gain some writing experience in a professional but pressurefree setting while fulfilling the scholarship job requirement.

After a Zoom interview with then-Editor-in-Chief Ryan Pivoney, I joined the Index as a staff writer. Before I knew it, August was here and with it an editor, a team and assignments. What excited and continues to excite me most about the Index is the invitational nature of writing assignments. The culture is “What do you want to write about?,” not “Here’s what you’ll be writing about.” At the first meeting, Erica Lindsay, my section editor at the time, asked me this question. I had not expected such freedom, but quickly suggested I work on a review of a TV show I had recently finished. The response was, “Sounds good. Let me know if you have any questions.” And I was off. I remember feeling excitement as I worked on that first article. I remember completely botching the formatting — totally unfamiliar with AP style — and the editing team offering constructive criticism and helpful feedback for the future, which I took with a smile and a listening ear. Since then, I have written several reviews for films and TV shows across genres, all with the guidance of an endlessly supportive team, and I am proud to have won three MCMA awards for Entertainment Review for my efforts. I want to thank Genna Tlustos and Sydney Ellison specifically. As the former features and opinions editor, Genna helped me evolve as a writer and continued to push me as the most recent Editor-in-Chief. As the most recent features and opinions editor, Sydney likewise challenged me to be the best writer I could. I have every confidence she will excel as the next Editorin-Chief. I also want to thank Don Krause for his work as the Index adviser and his supplementary contributions to my Index journey with his instruction in and out of the classroom. While I do not know exactly what my future holds beyond college, I have always been in pursuit of a profession that values the written word, and I am confident my experience with the Index will inform and enrich my professional life.

MICHAEL LAKEY Former Staff Writer

I would like to thank the Index for all the opportunities I got this year to report on Truman sports and beyond. I only wrote for the Index this school year, but I wish I had joined sooner because what I was able to do during my short time here has been wonderful. I got the chance to meet and interview coaches, players and students all around campus and understand and report their viewpoints. I did not know how well I would fare here, but it has been an incredible experience. I would also like to thank the sports editor at the Index, Lillie Morisaki. I had no idea what I was doing in the beginning of the year, and she helped immensely in my learning process. She also allowed me to pursue stories that interested me and follow my own ideas all year which helped me hone my reporting. I would also like to thank the entire editorial staff of the Index for consistently helping me improve my writing this year. I am grateful for the opportunity I got to report here, and I will miss doing this work.

EDITORIAL POLICY: e Index is published ursdays during the academic year by students at Truman State University, Kirksville, MO 63501. e production o ces are located in Barnett Hall 1200. We can be reached by phone at 660-785-4449. e Index is a designated public forum, and content of e Index is the responsibility of e Index sta . e editor-in-chief consults with the sta and adviser but ultimately is responsible for all decisions

EDITORIAL POLICY:

The Index is published Thursdays during the academic year by students at Truman State University, Kirksville, MO 63501. The production offices are located in Barnett Hall 1200. We can be reached by phone at 660-785-4449. The Index is a designated public forum, and content of The Index is the responsibility of The Index staff. The Editor-in-Chief consults with the staff and adviser but ultimately is responsible for all decisions. Opinions of The Index columnists are not necessarily representative of the opinions of the staff or the newspaper. Our View editorials represent the view of the Editorial Board through a two-thirds majority vote. The Editorial Board consists of the Editor-in-Chief, Managing Editor, section editors, copy chief and assistant copy chief. The Index reserves the right to edit submitted material because of space limitations, repetitive subject matter, libelous content or any other reason the Editor-in-Chief deems appropriate. Submitted material includes advertisements and letters to the editor.

Opinions of e Index columnists are not necessarily representative of the opinions of the sta or the newspaper. Our View editorials represent the view of the Editorial Board through a two-thirds majority vote. e Editorial Board consists of the editor-in-chief, managing editor, section editors, copy chief and assistant copy chief. e Index reserves the right to edit submitted material because of space limitations, repetitive subject matter, libelous content or any other reason the editor-in-chief deems appropriate. Submitted material includes advertisements and letters to the editor

LETTER POLICY: e Index welcomes letters to the editor from the University and Kirksville community. Letters to the editor are due by noon the Sunday before publication and become property of e Index upon submission. Once submitted, the letter is subject to editing for grammar and spelling errors

LETTER POLICY:

The Index welcomes letters to the editor from the University and Kirksville community. Letters to the editor are due by noon the Sunday before publication and become property of The Index upon submission. Once submitted, the letter is subject to editing for grammar, punctuation and spelling errors.

Submissions must contain a well-developed theme and cannot exceed 500 words except at the discretion of the opinions editor and/or editor-in-chief. Submission does not guarantee publication. Letters containing personal attacks, libelous attacks or inaccurate information will not be published. All letters to the editor must be typed and submitted by email to index.opinionseditor@gmail.com or online at tmn.truman.edu Include the words “letter to the editor” in the subject line of the email. Letters which are not submitted digitally will not be taken in consideration

Submissions must contain a well-developed theme and cannot exceed 500 words, except at the discretion of the opinions editor and/ or Editor-in-Chief. The Index suggests that submissions be written about current events or public issues that need to be brought forth, and should offer a valid argument. Submission does not guarantee publication, especially when submissions fail to add something to the current discussion. Letters containing personal attacks, libelous attacks or inaccurate information will not be published. All letters to the editor must be typed and submitted by email to index.editor@truman.edu or online at tmn.truman.edu. Include the words “letter to the editor” in the subject line of the email. Letters which are not submitted digitally will not be taken into consideration.

ADVERTISING POLICY: For up-to-date information on current advertising rates or to inquire about the availability of classi ed ads, contact Truman Media Network’s Advertising Manager, Joey Iaguessa, at 636-785-6004 or jai6847@truman.edu

ADVERTISING POLICY:

For up-to-date information on current advertising rates or to inquire about the availability of classified ads, contact Truman Media Network’s Sales Manager at tmnadsales@truman.edu.