All throughout high school, I used to videotape my friends and say, “For the mems.” At a certain point, their eyes started rolling, but I knew they would be grateful to have these moments captured once we graduated. I’ve kept that same energy since. During my time abroad in Florence, Italy, I would record nearly every bit of our trip. At least until I dropped my phone into a lake. At the beginning of my senior year here, I received a text from my friend that said, “I know I complain now, but at the end of the day, I’m going to be thankful you captured every waking moment of college.”
A couple of weeks after receiving that text, I decided to join the Massachusetts Daily Collegian. When I went to my first all-staff meeting, I was extremely guarded. Joining a club your senior year is an unorthodox move, but I knew that if I wanted my news packages published, it was a move I’d have to make. I am so glad I did because the Collegian is unlike any other student media organization I’ve been a part of.
I started going to video meetings because that’s what I do best, and I immediately found myself in a whirlwind of content. It was story after story, and though it was overwhelming at times, the people around me got me through it. Being that my niche is providing timely news content, I decided to join the news team. If I’m being honest, I just wanted to steal the pitch ideas off the story list and make them into videos. Joining the news team had to be one of, if not the best, decisions I made during my time here. The community was so welcoming, and I was able to form friendships so fast. They say the people make the place, and at the Collegian, that’s definitely the case.
Things really started to kick off when I decided to cover a Pro-Palestine sit-in. I spent hours upon hours with dedicated student journalists who were not only committed to their content but to the wellbeing of our staff. I knew that if I could do just a sliver of the work they do, I’d be doing my job well. I did, and it paid off tenfold. I was invited to an editor’s meeting, and not even ten minutes in, I was congratulated for being promoted to Assistant Video Editor. Obviously, I was very proud, but no one had told me beforehand, so it came as quite the shock. The room could definitely tell because it instantly erupted into laughter. As a thank you, I tried to raise a bunch of money for our annual power hour, but I could never thank these people enough.
The way I pay it forward is through my lens. Whether it be through a video camera or a DSLR, capturing the moment is my passion. Not only do I love getting clips of my friends in action, but elevating the voices of the Amherst community makes me feel like I’m leaving this place better than how I found it. Though I’m but a girl behind a camera, these moments mean the world to me. Every time I take a picture on the Collegian Polaroid, I catch myself smiling along with the subjects. If nothing else, I hope this serves as a reminder to take photos of your friends who always take photos of you. It’s said that before you die, your life flashes before your eyes, and if my video and pictures are any indication of what that will look like, I’ll die happy.
Katie Katz was an Assistant Video Editor. She can be reached at [email protected].
