When I arrived at Otterbein’s campus as a senior in high school, I knew it was the perfect place for me. I look back on that day and wonder where the time has gone. How am I already about to graduate? How am I going to live without Otterbein and the Communication Department?
It is crazy to believe that we are still going through a global pandemic. My time with T&C was anything but normal. I was sent home multiple times, experienced an election, somehow wrote stories for the sports beat and managed a staff of reporters.
When I first took the copyediting class for T&C, little did I know what kind of path it was going to lead me down. It was my first class with Dr. Warren, and I had met the editor-in-chief at the time, Katie Frame. From the start, the two of them were by my side up until my last day as EIC.
Katie Frame: I don’t even know where to start to be honest. I am so glad I was able to teach you a great deal of things that you will be able to use for the rest of your career (no need to thank me now). Just kidding. You taught me a ton of things, like learning exquisite grammar rules, managing story structure and operating CEO. I am grateful to have had you as a colleague and friend over the last two years. I hope to be one of the first to read the draft of your first fiction (yuck) novel.
Dr. Warren: You know, I heard a lot of talk about Dr. Warren before I took a class with her. A lot of it had to do with her being stern or mean. I believe that to be quite the opposite. Dr. Warren, there was not another professor in the Communication department that I wanted to learn from other than you. You taught me how to be diligent with my writing, committed to working on stories until I thought they were perfect and how to be independent when it came to work. You taught me a great deal of responsibility and I will always value what I learned from you. Thanks, Doc.
There are so many more people I could thank from T&C. Mike Moon, Steve Rossman, my past reporters and even those who I worked with as a reporter, especially you, James Lasher. Thank you all for making my time at T&C productive, memorable and special.
I believe that T&C is in a great spot with the current staff. There could not be anyone better than Ty Forney to lead the organization. I have always marveled at the way you write and articulate stories.
I was truly blessed by T&C Media, the Communication Department and Otterbein.
Sorry I did not write as much as Katie.
Again, thank you.
Ian Gillen, Otterbein c/o 2022
