Thank you Westy: Signing off

     Since August of 2016 I have had the pleasure of working with some of the finest individuals and friends I could have asked for while developing skills I never knew I wanted. Now, as our semester comes to a close, my time with The West Georgian has reached an end that is both welcomed and bittersweet. 

     As a sophomore I found myself in a Media Ethics course taught by Dr. John Sewell and as he paced around Humanities 312, rattling off stories of what is right and wrong in the realm of journalism, I began to feel drawn to pursue a degree in Convergence Journalism. A few months later, with no experience in the field, Sewell informed me of an opening with the paper as Circulation Manager which I filled for a semester before spending three semesters as a Copy Editor and my final semester as Editor-in-Chief. I am thankful to have had these opportunities with The West Georgian and I will continue to cherish these past five semesters for years to come. 

     My development and progression as a journalist – and more importantly, a person – would not have been possible without the help and guidance of those I have met along the way. 

     Thank you to Dr. Sewell for taking a chance on a kid who did not know he needed one. Thank you Dr. Schaefer for bringing copies of the paper to class and making sure that our work was recognized across departments. To Daniel for teaching me how to lead by example, Matt and Justin for holding me up, Dylan and Tiffany for getting our edits done, “Drew Jones from the UWG paper” for always making me laugh, George for getting copies on the stands each week, Erin and Kaitlin for putting up with us on Thursdays at layout, the writers who were willing to put in the work necessary to fill the pages each week and our faithful readers. This semester would have been impossible without the help and support you have all given me and the work you have put into this on a personal level.  

      I would also like to thank each professor and friend who has played a role in my education and growth while at UWG. Among these are countless names, which I will not even begin to list, but please know that each of you have helped me more than you could ever know. 

     My time at The West Georgian has been some of the most enjoyable of my life and I am excited to see how the work done here continues to progress. 

Thank you for everything, 

Robert David Moody