Hi everyone. Welcome or welcome back to “In the key of E.” I’m typing this in the middle of my very last week of classes at UW-Eau Claire, making this the last time I’ll ever sit down to write one of these stories. 

I’ve been thinking about sitting down to write this for upwards of a week, and now simultaneously feel like I have everything and nothing to say. All of that being said, let’s get started.

Weekly recap

To be completely honest, there’s not much that I need or want to tell you about my past week. I continued to work on class assignments and projects, hung out with friends and continued to count down the days until graduation.

Though I’m not usually an idealist, I decided that the last week and a half of college would go smoother than any average week thus far has. If you’ve read any of the stories I’ve written this semester specifically, you would know that I’ve had some busy and almost unbearable workloads this semester.

While I still do leading up to graduation, it seems less stressful than before. Maybe I manifested it. I thought about it, therefore it happened. What I didn’t consider, though I should have seen it coming, is the potential to get sick.

I’m one of those people who, without fail, gets sick at the beginning and end of every semester. I don’t know what it is or why it happens, it’s just something I have to deal with. But there I was, waking up this past weekend, feeling not so great.

In the few days that my sickness has gone on, I’ve gone from having a tickle in my throat, to not being able to breathe at all, to hardly being able to speak. All I can say is that it genuinely sucks. It’s so bad that I’m in the process of ordering Sudafed and nasal spray from DoorDash as we speak.

In the hopes of not spreading my sickness, I’ve missed out on things like my favorite class, one of the last Blugold Radio livestreams and, worst of all, my last Spectator meeting ever. But I’m taking it one day at a time, hoping that my body will be nice to me and at least get better by the start of finals week.

Anyway, that’s probably the least important thing you could learn from reading this. Now, onto why you should be here. 

From me to you

Like I said earlier, I’ve spent a long time thinking about what I wanted to say for the last time. I feel like the best way to end is to do exactly as I did when I started.

I wrote the very first edition of this column by talking about the importance of writing your feelings using words to outwardly express what we are thinking or feeling. While writing this column has served as a creative outlet, it has simultaneously reinforced my love for journalism and, more specifically, keeping myself out of the story.

My love for journalism stems from a love for creative writing. When I was approaching my senior year of high school, I decided that I wanted to channel my love for writing into a more specific focus that I could study during college. 

Journalism, at first, was what I might now consider a last choice. I loved the creativity of writing, and for a while, failed to recognize that I am allowed to incorporate that creativity into the world of journalism too. I soon learned that creative writing, while it is always an option, isn’t the only type of writing for me. 

I’ve always been the listener in my friend groups. While I failed to appreciate that quality of mine for a while, I know now that it is a skill I can use in my journalism. Any nerves or frantic feelings I had walking up to a source for the first time melted away. 

What started as reading questions poorly written on a notepad turned into natural and intuitive conversations much longer than myself or the source had ever imagined. 

I walked away from each experience being so confident and sure of my ability to thrive in this craft, and I am so excited that my opportunity to showcase those abilities in a public sphere has been nurtured by the classes that have prepared me to do so.

Studying journalism has taught me more than how to ask questions and get answers. It has taught me how to separate myself, as well as what makes up the world in general, into subjectivity and objective truth. 

I have learned that expectation breeds assumption, and that people aren’t always what you think. I have learned to be considerate to all sides of a story, not just one. And I have learned that kindness is a good match to that consideration. Now, going into the world of journalism for what is the first, real time, I am excited to see where I end up. 

Obviously, I know my strengths and my goals match them. But I don’t want that to completely control where I end up doing this work that I love so much. 

I walked through my college years making claims of my love for investigative reporting and my strength in feature and profile writing. But I still recognize that every single niche or field within journalism would teach me something if I gave it the change, and I think my newfound willingness to adapt in that way is a strength I should be proud of. 

To be truthful, I’m still trying to figure out where I want to end up, but I’m willing and able to make moves to do this. Places like Milwaukee, Madison, Minneapolis and Chicago seem to call my name a bit louder than other cities. 

But I know it would be beneficial to do this work in even the smallest of places. The work of journalism, regardless of the subject of a story, is still important work. As The Washington Post says, “Democracy dies in darkness.” 

I first learned journalism to be defined as “the pursuit of the truth.” And now, I am excited to say, I am ready to pursue that truth however it takes. 

Weekly R.E.P.O.R.T.

Reading: For class, I’m reading “Tomboyland” by Melissa Faliveno and “Body Work” by Melissa Febos. For fun, “Weyward” by Emilia Hart, “My Life With Words” by Barbara F. Luebke and “War of the Foxes” by Richard Siken.

I love Richard Siken so much. His poetry is unlike anything I’ve ever read.

Eating: Random foods.

I’ve been cleaning out my cupboard, trying to finish all of the food pushed all the way to the very back, so the meal combinations have been pretty weird.

Playing: “Harry Styles” by Harry Styles.

This, in my opinion, is his best album. Sue me. 

Obsessing: Getting everything done.

I have a countdown to graduation on the whiteboard in my room. It’s honestly been my motivator this past week or so.

Recommending: Don’t get sick.

This is kind of hard to control, but just a bit of advice. 

Treating: Grace and time.

This might be a really cheesy thing to say in my very last story, but some of my best moments throughout college were those when I allowed myself to live in the moment and make mistakes along the way. 

I know I don’t usually type anything down here, but I just don’t think I can avoid it. Whether it was for one or all of the editions of this story I’ve written, thank you so much for joining me. Being part of The Spectator has been one of my greatest joys in life thus far, and I am truly a changed person because of it.

Thank you to everyone who edited this column all year and put up with my concerning lack of understanding on how to use commas correctly. And thank you to everyone who will carry on to continue to make The Spectator so special. I know you’ll all do such amazing things.

Sending lots of love for the last, and most genuine time. I’ll miss this forever.

-E.

Braun can be reached at [email protected].