Dawsey: Wonderful people, great experiences dominate life at USC
We capture life at its worst and best. We attempt to fight through manipulation and highlight the truth. Our role is to question, analyze, synthesize and make it all known, doing so while being fair to all involved.
For the past seven semesters I've given thousands of waking hours to The Daily Gamecock, a paper I initially found interesting and eventually found addicting.
I couldn't shake the bug — moving from staff writer to assistant news editor to news editor before taking over as editor-in-chief in January. My second term ends with this column and today's issue. It is bittersweet; leaving anything you love is difficult. Yet we are all born for leaving.
There are so many things I will take away from working at The Daily Gamecock, a truly wonderful paper with a wonderful staff. I could praise this staff in reams of newsprint and still not say enough; they have achieved so much, sometimes against all odds.
These talented journalists are reflective of a broader culture, one that reaches into almost every facet of life here. This is what I've observed: The University of South Carolina thrives because of its people, from the dutiful custodians to the gregarious president.
The countless names etched in the bricks of the Horseshoe show this university's traditions, which are rooted in the generations of the millions who called this place home. Those who look at Carolina as merely a physical place will likely never succeed at finding fulfillment here.
My best memories from Carolina are the same as those I'm sure many of you possess. The football games and road trips that helped develop bonds you'll never lose, or the freshmen adventures you won't ever forget — or do again. Lunches with best friends in Gibbes Court that seemingly never ended.
Carolina means much to us all. At the root of everything is the people. Roommates and best friends, caring professors and mentors, the ones who give sage advice and have your best interests at heart.
In "The Best of What's Around, Dave Matthews says it best: "Turns out not where but who you're with that really matters." That's been my experience here. I can only wish that this happiness be felt by others as strongly as I have felt it myself.
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