I’ll never forget how I felt walking into the Fanshawe Student Union (FSU) building for the first time, clutching my notebook of story ideas. It was August 2010, I had graduated from a Journalism program two months prior, and I was having a tough time finding a job that fit what I was looking for. Landing an interview at a weekly campus newspaper intrigued me, and as a recent student and lifelong Londoner, I figured I knew the audience pretty well.

Out of that interview, I was hired into my very first full-time job. I was elated.

I worked at Interrobang from 2010 to 2014, and it remains my favourite role I’ve ever held. I had the opportunity to work with dozens of Fanshawe students, faculty, and community members; I wrote hundreds of stories; I edited hundreds of thousands of words. I was honoured to be part of the Fanshawe College community for those four years.

I wrote many articles I was proud of, including a chronicle of my Halloween night campus security ride-along with Special Constable Brent Arseneault, a story about a woman who rallied Londoners on Twitter to support a local family in crisis, and an interview with Canadian media icon George Stroumboulopoulos.

Beyond writing, my favourite part of the role was working with students, many of whom had their work printed for the very first time in the newspaper. I helped them discover a love of writing, build their confidence, and hone their voices. Many of the students I worked with have gone on to build successful careers in journalism, marketing, and corporate communications –starting with a portfolio of stories published in Interrobang.

When John Said, who had been my manager during my time at Interrobang, reached out to let me know that the newspaper’s 50-year run was coming to an end this year, I was devastated. Student journalism is critical to fostering an open, supportive, communicative campus, and graduating from post-secondary education with work experience and published articles can kick-start a career. Shutting down this newspaper deprives students, faculty and local residents of important stories and experiences. This is a great loss for the Fanshawe and London communities and for generations of writers to come.

I know I couldn’t have built my career without the experience and skills I gained at Interrobang: time management, prioritization, teamwork, leadership, and so much more. I will be forever grateful for that experience.

The Interrobang newspaper has been an invaluable platform for student voices for five decades. Fanshawe won’t be the same without it.