By: Jacob Politte
Online Editor
Because of my status as a part time student, I’ve been on The Montage for longer than most. I started writing these Jake’s Take columns all the way back in early 2019, and at some point, I’ve written about everything under the sun… local, national or otherwise. Some of them have been about life lessons, some of them have been about politics, and some of them have been straight up mindless rants about things that irritated me. While the topics have varied over the years, they’ve all been under the Jake’s Take banner.
And now, this is the last one. At least in this medium, at least for now, and definitely in any medium for a long time. It’s also my last issue of The Montage and the end of my long tenure on staff. The time has come, and the best thing one can do is to know when it’s okay to walk away.
I have a new career now, one that STLCC helped make possible. I’ll forever be grateful for that.
I know some in the college and even campus administration are likely breathing a sigh of relief, even though The Montage still asks the kinds of tough questions that I learned to ask. But I’d like to thank those people, who I likely made uncomfortable interviewing. The challenges were worth it. They made me better at my job.
I’d like to thank Shannon Philpott-Sanders, the best faculty advisor The Montage could possibly have, past or present. No matter who you are or what your role is, Shannon always makes sure every student matters in terms of producing this publication. She encouraged me to take on a more prominent role over time, and she helped make me a leader, and then a better leader.
I’d like to thank every person on staff I’ve ever worked with, past or present. I’ve seen countless eras of reporters and editors pass through the newsroom door over the years. All of them brought a different vibe, and all of them made the job feel forever fresh. There were no boring days at The Montage, except maybe during the COVID year when I was the only one on campus the entire time. And even then, the quiet was its own kind of interesting.
Some of the stories I worked on, and some of the events I’ve been witness to as a result, have been nothing short of extraordinary. It truly is a unique place to be, where you routinely witness a student and faculty body engage in a dialogue that isn’t always calm. More than once, I’ve seen an entire faculty body revolt against those in charge. I’ve seen students stand up for what they think is right on countless occasions in spite of the controversy they knew it’d create.
My job was to report on all of it fairly. The good, the bad and the ugly. And I think I did that, even if some didn’t think so. I could only print the quotes from the people willing to talk, and I always made sure as many as I could. That’s why some of those articles were so long!
It’s cliche to say, but as someone who’s been to other schools previously, there’s nothing quite like STLCC. And there’s nothing quite like The Montage either. The paper has changed a lot over time, and especially during my tenure. I’m very proud of how far we’ve come, and the times we made it through. I’ve been on staff with three people, and now a staff with up to 15 constantly innovating and taking up the mantle of producing, in my opinion, a fine product.
I will miss The Montage, even as I look to continue my studies. It’s truly been an honor being on this staff.
Thank you all.
