If you’ve read my bio (click here if you haven’t) than you’d know that I went back to college last spring to finish my Bachelor’s of English. Initially, I wasn’t sure how I’d feel about returning to academia. I had every intention of sliding under the radar when I first went back, unceremoniously chipping away at a degree that I always wanted yet did not complete. Instead, I fully embraced my new role as student and decided to be as active as possible on campus. I’m not talking about joining the women’s golf team and moving into the dorms, but I did participate in the Yeah, You Write reading series, put on by the English Department, this past March. I submitted a memoir piece titled “Blue Laser Beams” that I wrote in class and crossed my fingers it would be picked. And it was! There’s something about reading your original work in front of sixty strangers that is admittedly a little intimidating. What if they don’t laugh at my jokes? What if I smear lipstick all over the microphone? They did, and I did (oops), and I’m glad that I put “Blue Laser Beams” out there. As writers we rarely get the opportunity to gauge a live audience’s reaction to our work.
Then, I did something even crazier. I applied for the Editor-In-Chief position of the student newspaper just a few days ago. And I got it. This week has been a whirlwind of events; an interview with the publications board, that much anticipated congratulatory phone call from my adviser, two meetings and a slew of staff applications. It’s funny how opportunities magically appear when you let them.
Christy Lorio 