A Writer’s Farewell

By Kenneth Glidden, Head Culture Writer

Photos taken by Sadie Miyler, Photographer and Designer

The ability to write is the ability to create worlds, share feelings, bring change and much more. The ability to write with a platform in which you are heard is a blessing. This past year I have been very blessed. I began my journey with the McKendree Review in September of last year which seems to be considerably further away than it really is. At the time, all I wanted was a creative outlet, something I could use to escape from the everyday analytical, mind-numbing ways of thought brought by the abundance of reading, writing and regurgitating information that the concept of school feeds us. 

I had begun journaling a few weeks before my time at the Review and caught writing fever. Haley Rey (the former Editor-in-Chief) reached out to me with a job offer for the Head Culture Writer – I knew this was the perfect opportunity. Blindy, I jumped in head first, excited to flex my creative muscles and get some published works. After my first piece, however, I realized there is so much more to the McKendree Review than just creative writing.

My first piece was a welcome piece for Rev. Bev. This was my first time ever conducting a press interview. I was nervous, but I was prepared with my questions and my voice recorder and I was confident in my ability as a writer, so I wasn’t going to let some social interaction stop me. The interview ended up being a million times smoother than I was expecting and was more of a casual conversation than an interview. 

After the interview, the fun really began. I poured my coffee, put my headphones in and got to work. I had always been told in middle and high school that I was good at writing, but I never paid it any mind. I answered the questions of my assignments and wrote essays when I had to, but writing for fun was unheard of. This time though, there were no expectations, no limits and plenty of material. I turned my piece over to the editors, also known as every writer’s best friend, and soon enough my first ever piece of published work was sent into the world.

If it weren’t for my team, that piece and the many more that followed it, would not exist right now. That is likely the best part of working for the Review that I wasn’t expecting. Our team has fantastic writers, editors, photographers and management. Dr. Rich Murphy is the man behind the scenes. He is the one that allows us to be paid, the one that gets us information from the higher-ups and oversees our work. 

The Editor-in-Chief is the real head-huncho though. Formerly Haley Rey and currently Nat Wilk, these two amazing humans have done a fantastic job of accommodating us writers and making sure posts among everything else goes smoothly. They spearhead the meetings, constantly push idea creation, create the schedules, relay all of Rich’s ideas and insights, on top of editing pieces! I cannot thank them enough for the rest of the editors, Marisa Ortega and Grace Gross.

There is more to the team than just writing and editing, nothing helps a piece become more real than a visual aid. This semester we were lucky enough to have two photographers Phoebe and Sadie. We also have a social media presence that calls for a social media coordinator for which we have the amazing Viola. 

Thanks to all of these people, being a writer for the McKendree Review has never been easier! I have been blessed to work here for most of this school year, but as time goes on and the school year and my college tenure nears its end, so does my time as a writer. 

I am beyond thankful for the opportunities given to me through the Review and to all my coworkers, you guys rock! I am excited to see where the Review goes and how it grows from here on out and that growth may very well start with you dear reader. To all those that have been enjoying the stories and coverage provided by the McKendree Review and want to get in on the action, now is your time! With the opportunity for a paid writing position, if you have the skills, the dream and the drive then you should get in contact with the review. 

I am going to miss the people, the interviews, the story ideas and the culture surrounding the McKendree Review and though my time here as a writer has come to an end, I will remain a writer forevermore.