The CT seniors say farewell
Illustration by Killian Goodale-Porter.
Olivia McCabe, Designer
I have not written for a hot minute, so hold on tight.
I began at The CT as a contributing illustrator, and soon became a designer for the SMC my last year of college. I learned so much about design itself and how much hard work and dedication it takes to make The CT each week.
I want to thank my fellow staff at The CT, and talented designers Soli, Gabe and Victor for all the amazing memories and help each week. Working each week with y’all felt like bringing the ring to Mordor. It was hard work, but we did it. I’m going to miss y’all a bunch and you’ll do great things out there!
I also wanted to thank Mark Jeffries, Owen Martin and Jessica Clary for believing in my abilities as a designer, illustrator and front desk worker at the SMC. I appreciate everything you do for the SMC, and I cannot thank you enough for all the opportunities you have given me.
Bye nerds lol.
Gabe Molina, Designer
As I reflect on my time at The CT, I find it difficult to encapsulate everything I learned into one column, but here goes nothing.
To start, nothing quite prepares you for the rigors of the real world like The CT. It’s a place where you need to be dedicated, hardworking and open-minded. Despite the long hours and intricate stories we cover, we always found a way to reach our goals.
I’ve come to understand that design, much like life itself, is far from linear. Each project, each challenge, has been a lesson in adaptability and growth. Even if I feel like I have a strong understanding of Adobe InDesign, there is still a large ocean of short keys I have yet to discover.
I’m immensely grateful for my design den mates — Olivia, Victor and Soli. They’ve been constant sources of inspiration, pushing me to exceed my limits and sharing countless moments of laughter.
Little did I know that my experience at The CT would ignite a spark within me to create my own newspaper for my senior project, “Cuentos de Oro.” Delving into my family’s stories and weaving narratives through words and images gave me a newfound sense of purpose.
To The CT, thank you for the memories, thank you for teaching me about the world of journalism and most of all, thank you for giving me this opportunity. I will never forget it.
Solimar Santoyo, Design Editor
On March 26, 2022, I received a text message from a dear friend asking, “hey :3 are you interested in doing design for The CT ? ? ?” It sounded like such a great opportunity and my instincts were more than right. I eagerly responded, “! ! i would literally love that ! !”
Over the next two years, I spent late nights every week with such talented, hard-working, dedicated and hilarious individuals. I had the pleasure of working with so many beautiful souls — our friendships extend beyond the Student Media Center which I am eternally grateful for.
Being a designer at the SMC has sparked my love for print and digital design — a passion I was totally unaware of until I got my hands on my first physical copy of the famous 11×17 tabloid which I totally and immediately grabbed about twelve of and hung one above my bed. I then saw social posts I designed, which I posted on my story captioned, “i designed this !!!” The publishing aspect of my work is what made the hard work so worth it, and each copy or post made me giddy, proud and gave me butterflies in my stomach.
The entire SMC staff, including Mark Jeffries and Jessica Clary, show their never-ending support for the work we publish and allow us to manifest our creativity unapologetically through our publications. A common theme I have noticed throughout my employment is that students are always first and they constantly embody that through their planned events, actions and words. I thank them for giving students a space to express our creativity and especially our voices.
I would like to thank the team I had during my first year. The previous Design Editor Clare Wislar believed I am a strong leader and my confidence grew as she expressed my strength as a designer. I am completely blessed and utterly blown away by the design team I led this year as Design Editor, including Gabe, Olivia and Victor. Seeing their growth throughout every issue was incredibly rewarding. The highest honor has been learning more about them as creatives and, most importantly, as humans. I thank them for their unconditional trust, eternal kindness and wholehearted support till the end of time.
To sum everything up: Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you. Oh, and one more thing: Thank you.
