My time at Washington Square News started off as an experiment of sorts: I had never written an “article” before in my life. All I knew was that I liked dance — specifically ballet — and, occasionally, film. So I became the now-defunct Entertainment Editor. Eventually ascending to the title of Arts Editor for two glorious semesters, my little experiment in self indulgence and discovery turned into a bachelor’s degree in Journalism, attending concerts and film festivals around the country and interviewing the likes of Barry Jenkins, Greta Gerwig and Meryl Streep. But all superficialities aside, the greatest gift was working alongside the brightest, most inspiring and whip smart talents I’ve had the pleasure of knowing (a few of whom I got to call roommates for a summer) and being given a platform and support system to be me — a luxury I was not afforded growing up in Mississippi. Whether lingering the fluorescent basement dungeons of Bobst or surfing the hamstring-debilitating steps of Kimmel, I have always been comforted by the weekly print editions of WSN on newsstands around campus. And if I stay in New York City, New York State or elsewhere in the United States, I’ll always be checking in on the institution that gave me my wings and a home. Thank you WSN for defining my college experience.

Email Ryan Mikel at [email protected]. Read more from Washington Square News’ “While You Were Here 2020.”