As the Audience Waits for the Final Act

writes Fiona Keeley‘We skipped the light fandango, turned cartwheels ‘cross the floor, I was feeling kinda seasick, but the crowd called out for more’ those are the words I use to describe this year at University Express. From the prologue in June 2020 I knew our course of action would be open to our interpretation but it was how we chose to define the main act that would matter. As a newspaper our job was to tell stories to you, but behind every story written and behind each photo taken was someone who I had the pleasure of working with this year, as a colleague but more importantly as a friend. To the University Express team 20/21, thank you. Know that I am proud of you and everything you have accomplished this year. A paper is not something that is run by an individual, but by a team of people working towards a shared ideal, where everyone can contribute and nobody thinks alike. And to you, dear reader, thank you. I hope that this paper has been informative and provided you with a connection to UCC throughout the peaks and troughs of what has been an exceptional year. As my final year begins to draw to a close my days at UCC are numbered, however, physical presence does not equate to emotional connection and my connection to this university will stay with me long after I have departed this place. While individuals are transient the things that bind us are constant allowing them to continue into the future while we reminisce on days passed. The process of self-fashioning that this paper has given me over the past number of years has allowed me to develop an identity for myself as a student journalist - exploring stories that connect with people on a human level. The written culture of University Express is part of the intuitive nature of this newspaper, and whether the publication is in print or online this culture is part of our story. We fulfill our duty as student journalists by writing stories backed up by evidence and fact, while valuing your trust and not taking it for granted. University Express, you are part of the reason I fell in love with student media. To give a voice to the unheard and to say those words that are unspoken, for that I thank you. And now, as my soliloquy comes to a close and my epilogue not far away, I will take a piece of you with me in my heart as I take my final steps off the stage. Sometimes it is what is unseen that holds the most value.For the last time,Fiona