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To my dad & to my journey

In a Sept. 25, 1970 issue of Miami University Middletown’s student newspaper KAOS, you can find the first time my dad, Mike Stratton, was listed as Editor of the publication.

Now, 53 years later, I sit and write my last addition to The Miami Student newspaper as the Editor-in-Chief, and you can find the same last name adorning the page that did all those years ago.

Though we’ve traded typewriters for laptops and physical page layouts for InDesign files, the same energy and passion that poured into the pages of KAOS have poured into the pages and staff of The Miami Student.

I consider myself the luckiest girl in the world to be the daughter of my dad, and to have shared this moment of my life with him, in this way, has been deeply meaningful. I owe and dedicate this experience to him.

My dad, having retold his rebellious and exciting days with KAOS, inspired me to go into TMS’s newsroom my first year and try to get my name in the paper. 

And now, if I told that version of myself where I am now, I would be shocked. I distinctly remember sitting in on my first Editor-in-Chief election with The Student, and the thought briefly crossed my mind that, maybe one day, that could be me.

I also remember dismissing the thought rapidly.

Now, I’m so proud. I’m sad. I’m full of passion. I’m ready to take the next step in my life because of the lessons I’ve learned here, the people I’ve met on staff and the role I got to play in this newspaper’s history.

I’ve grown as a person, a leader, a worker and a citizen as Editor-in-Chief. I’ve gotten to know so many sharp, genuinely good people throughout my years on staff. Together, we’ve laughed, listened, stressed, worked, wrote and designed A LOT. And we did it all so that community members could be informed, some could be held accountable and everyone could be heard.

Thank you to the TMS staff. I couldn’t have done anything I did without you all. 

And a special, sincere thank you to Abby Bammerlin, who in the past year has weathered many storms with me and has been a steadfast partner, friend and Managing Editor.

As I pass on this bright burning torch, I get to leave knowing that in the past year, The Miami Student has made a lasting impact on the Miami and Oxford communities. It’s truly been a privilege to serve both communities for four years as a journalist, especially alongside such talent.

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It’s important to me to note that this senior class of student journalists is the one that most heavily reported on the impacts of COVID-19 here in Oxford and on campus. We kept reporting and publishing, though we were just 20-year-olds stuck in childhood bedrooms and disconnected from this place we had only just gotten to call home. 

But, really, I couldn’t think of a better group of students to do so. The senior student journalists in this news organization are strong, and they’ve trained strong successors. 

The Miami Student journalists care for the communities they serve, and they believe in lifting up the voices of others — even when they are faced with criticism, rumors, unprofessional comments and behavior and more. 

Journalism plays an essential role in this community, and the community is lucky to have individuals that recognize that too. 

I love journalism, thanks to my dad. It’s been a privilege to share that with others here in Oxford.

Thank you for being a constant presence and a home, TMS. Thank you for the memories.

@cosettegunter

guntercr@miamioh.edu

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