Illustration by MK Brittain
By Carrie Pinkard
I remember the first time we met to put the paper together back in August 2019. It took sixteen hours and I kept glancing at the clock thinking I made a terrible mistake.
Was this 8-page newspaper that would end up being used for student gum wrappers worth it?
I soon realized the answer was yes, and that joining The Crow’s Nest staff as arts and life editor was one of the best choices I made in grad school.
There isn’t a lot of camaraderie among journalism graduate students at USF St. Petersburg. Most of them commute or take classes online, so we don’t get to interact in person. Because of this, I entered my second year of grad school without that important sense of community.
The Crow’s Nest introduced me to a group of weirdos who love words as much as I do. We debated for hours about active verbs and em dashes.
I didn’t know the seven strangers I sat in a cramped office exchanging awkward glances with that first Sunday would quickly become my close friends. We started celebrating birthdays together. We played rousing games of D&D at JT’s and huddled in Tommy’s apartment for “Curb Your Enthusiasm.”
Aside from the friendships, The Crow’s Nest gave me a platform to write about things I never would have been able to otherwise. From campus political debates and Student Government to art openings and theatre reviews, I’m proud of the stories I produced at The Crow’s Nest.
To the next generation of student journalists getting ready to roost in The Crow’s Nest office, my advice is to take it all in. This is your campus, and these are your stories to tell.
Be bold in your reporting. Accept that your editors aren’t there to ruin your hard work, but to make it better. Enjoy being surrounded by smart, informed students and feed off each other. Listen to your adviser — especially if it’s Rob. Always listen to Rob. Don’t complain about your Monday paper route; just enjoy the walk and the sights of our beautiful little waterfront campus.
As I prepare to graduate at the end of the summer, I’m worried about leaving the nest that is higher education. I love being in school. I love the cadence of a life divided into semesters.
I’m not sure what’s next for me. But I do know when I look back on my time in grad school I’m going to think of TheCrow’s Nest editors laughing and working into the late hours of Sunday night, and the fresh stacks of papers waiting for us Monday morning.
