Massachusetts Daily Collegian

A free and responsible press serving the UMass community since 1890

A free and responsible press serving the UMass community since 1890

Massachusetts Daily Collegian

A free and responsible press serving the UMass community since 1890

Massachusetts Daily Collegian

Spirit is a shirt made of moral fibers

David Brinch

I’ve never really been into philosophy, but there is one quote that I try to live by: “Character is higher than intellect; a great soul will be strong to live as well as think.”

In mine and Ralph Waldo Emerson’s opinions, it doesn’t really matter how you do in a particular class that determines how intelligent you are, or if you know what is going on in Libya or how many people died in the tornadoes in Alabama. I am not trying to be insensitive, but what I try to see in people are the thousands of moral fibers woven together that make up a person’s spirit.

I walked into The Massachusetts Daily Collegian four years ago, a student from out-of-state who knew almost no one, who was eager to become a part of something while also trying to meet new people and see if I was really interested in the field of journalism. I can’t even tell you how many articles I have written for this paper, or how many hours I have logged down in this windowless basement in the Campus Center.

But what I can tell you is that I feel like while I have learned things that I will hopefully take with me in the “real world,” I believe that I have become a better person from the people I have worked with and the things that I have done. I have learned how to be part of a team. I apologize for not sparing you a cliché about sports, since I have been the section editor for the past year.

Working at a newspaper that prints 10,000 copies everyday takes a lot of organization and a lot of cooperation from a lot of different personalities. If you don’t believe me, come check it out. But that’s not a bad thing. I feel like its imperative for people to be different as long as they see a common goal that they all want to accomplish. I have also learned that above all, being a person that can communicate with others and that can give positive reinforcement in a leadership role will warrant positive results as well as more respect.

Face it: people don’t like being told that they suck. Even if they do suck, having a sense of humor about it and building people back up will get you better results. While most of my close friends were not involved with the Collegian, I must say that I have met some pretty interesting people who have opened my eyes to a lot of different perspectives about a ton of different issues.

I’m not really sure if I want to go into journalism, but I know that my time spent at the Collegian has been well worth it. I also know that the relationships I have made with teachers, co-workers and my staff have been beneficial not only on a professional level, but on a personal one.
I want to thank everyone involved with The Collegian, the athletes and the coaches and the media relations people who I have had the pleasure with working with and getting to know, along with my family, friends, classmates and roommates from Keno. You all mean the world to me.

Lastly, I want to thank the people who pick up the paper and actually read it. I hardly believe that I am more intelligent then the average human being. But what I can say is that I value mine as well as other people’s character above all else, and hope that it has become more well-built these past four years.

David Brinch was The Collegian’s Sports Editor. He can be reached at [email protected].

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    Steven ZerneriMay 4, 2011 at 1:08 pm

    Brinch, you forgot to mention all of the game winning 3 pointers you have made during your four years at Umass.

    But seriously, you are a great kid and have the character of a Saint. Don’t forget about me if you start working for ESPN.

    Reply
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    Mike GillmeisterMay 3, 2011 at 1:56 pm

    Wow. That was great, Dave. You’ve definitely made a case for yourself in this industry, or whatever industry you decide to go into. Thank you for putting the time and effort into this paper, as it truly wouldn’t have been the same without you.

    Reply