My name is Trenedy Parks and I never thought I would be here. I am currently sitting as The Flor-Ala’s new Editor-in-Chief. This is my first semester here and I’m so insanely excited for the future while I am here.
As a kid, I always thought I wanted to be a doctor or surgeon—someone who would be in the medical field of some sort. I then realized that blood made me queasy so that was out. Getting into high school I thought I would be a physical trainer, I took physical rehab courses and then tapped out at anatomy and physiology. I then thought I’d be in the theatre department since I was the drama club president and all. When I got into college I was then convinced I was going to be a digital marketing major so I could do great things for startup businesses.
The summer before my freshman year, at summer orientation, I approached a table named The Flor-Ala. The editor-in-chief at the time caught me in a great conversation about what news media is and how it benefits people. I put down my name and number. Three weeks later I received a text offering me a scholarship to write for that same paper.
I spent my first year in college being scared to be an adult and simultaneously proud that I was out on my own. I took my business courses and gen eds while writing for the paper as a Staff Writer. I wrote my first story for the second issue of the paper. It was about the COVID-19 guidelines not being updated for the school year. I loved talking to people and getting all the information I needed to write the story. When it was published I was ecstatic. Getting to see my name in print for something I had done was the highlight of my first semester in college. I changed my major to Journalism and Digital Media Production the summer after my freshman year.
Sophomore year, I threw myself into writing. As the News Editor, I took it upon myself to get more involved with how the paper operates and the management and organizational side of things. I organized events and appeared in places while also trying to write the best I could for the student and faculty population. I loved it all. Things got tough here and there trying to balance work, life, the paper, and my job, but I Loved. It. All.
After my sophomore year, I became the managing editor of my beloved, and forever and always, EIC. I wanted to make it their best final semester imaginable and put out the best paper the student body had yet to see. At some point, it all got to be too much, and my best friends came to me and told me to share the burden. I am forever grateful. I would not be where I am without them.
That brings us to now, I am your EIC and I am riddling with excitement for what’s to come and anxiety that I will not do well. I’ve been told that the anxiety I feel is what will make me a good leader. The worry that I feel is what will make me great. And I have so many people to thank for getting me here whole and in the condition I am in.
To all my EICs: Audrey, I thank you for pulling me into that conversation, I would not be here if it were not for you. Brooke, thank you for being the most patient with me and my biases. You showed me what it means to learn and to persevere. Emma, thank you for letting me be in your corner, for letting me watch you grow, and for letting me see what a great writer you’ve become and what I could be. I miss you dearly. Kelley, I have too many words to say and little room to type. You will always be my EIC and I cannot wait to see the great things you will do. Thank you for believing in me.
To my support system: Dad, thank you for supporting me in everything I do and making sure all of our family reads what I write. I love you. Mom, thank you for making sure I make time for myself and allowing me to come to you with all my benign rants. Cora, thank you for always being there for me, I can’t do this life thing without you. Rady and Amberly, thank you for making sure I didn’t lose my mind when things got tough. I owe you both my life and I can’t do this thing without you. Izzy, thank you for being here. I can’t ask more of you than I do. You make my life so much easier.
To my staff: I would not be EIC without you here. Your constant support and hype towards me are greater than anything I could’ve asked for. I hope that I can give you all the room to grow and be amazing writers, photographers, graphic designers, producers, managers and marketers. Trevor, my right-hand man, I believe that you’re going to do great and amazing things with the skills you’ve learned. You’re just going up from here. Whitney, Thank you for being here with me. You were my first friend at UNA and I will never take you for granted, I love you dearly.
To my readers: thank you for keeping us rolling. You all are what makes a paper worth it. Seeing your feedback, good and bad, is just amazing and I take it all in stride. I aim to make this a paper you all can rely on. To see the good, the bad, and the ugly of our university. I wish for your continued support and hope that you all keep reading and voicing your opinions on us, we appreciate it all.
As past editors have said: The Flor-Ala adheres to The First Amendment as well as the guidelines put in place by the College Media Association and the Associated Press. In conjunction with this, we forbid any kind of discrimination and hate speech within our staff and publications. The intention and purpose of our publication will never be to align with or perpetuate these views. The Flor-Ala receives funding from the University of North Alabama as one of its registered student organizations, but the university’s administration does not tell us what to say or publish. We are not affiliated with the university’s Media and Public Relations department, and it is strictly prohibited for student workers to work for both the Department of Media and Public Relations and The Flor-Ala. As an entirely independent publication, our views do not reflect those of the university or our student body, and we do not speak on behalf of UNA, aside from any story that is attributed to a university official or any direct quote from a university official.
If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me at [email protected]. I would love to hear your thoughts and feedback.
Thank you all. I look forward to my time here at UNA and as The Flor-Ala’s newest Editor-in-Chief.
