A Note from the Editor by: Marlee Sorrells

I have never been good at saying goodbye and this will be no exception.

Working for The Brand has been one of the biggest blessings given to me by Hardin-Simmons University. I have had the blessed opportunity to work with amazing faculty advisors like Dr. Tim Chandler, Dr. Randy Armstrong and Mrs. Carlina Daugherty over the course of my three years at HSU. They have given me invaluable advice and guidance throughout my college career about leadership, professional relationships and maintaining a work-life balance. Without them, the paper would fall apart.

The Brand has also given me my most treasured friendships. My freshman year, I joined the staff in September alongside some of my friends from the honors program. One such person is Megan Jewell. She started her college career at HSU as a Christian studies major after leaving her life in Alexandria, La. After her freshman year, she moved to Virginia to finish her studies at Liberty University, but she has remained one of my strongest friendships from HSU. Without The Brand, she would have just been another person in class with me, but now I cannot imagine life without her.

However, The Brand itself has given me a million little blessings. Through working for the newspaper I have been able to talk to so many people on campus that I may not have had the opportunity to otherwise. These people have shown me all of the special happenings on campus that seem to go unnoticed. Things like Revive 25 (formerly Andy24) require so much hidden work, it is so amazing to get to highlight the work the students and faculty volunteers put into making these events run smoothly, hopefully giving them the recognition they deserve.

I have also been able to reignite my passion for history through the Throwback Thursday series we publish. Being able to dive into archives and write stories about my favorite place and how it has grown and evolved over the years is the best way for me to fall in love with HSU even more. 

Being Editor-in-Chief has also brought me some exciting story opportunities, like writing about our outstanding alumni and where they have ended up. But two stories hold a very special place in my heart. Recently, I wrote a story about the rodeo and an event called Fracas Week that took place on campus historically. Working with University Events means that I am involved in the process of putting on Western Heritage Day, the only remaining tradition from Fracas Week, so the story was the perfect blend of my two jobs.

Last year, I wrote a story about HSU and its connection to the RMS Titanic. It sounds crazy as a pitch, but HSU has a few connections to the not-so-lost ship. I do not want to spoil the story, so hopefully it can be as fun of a read as it was to write.

Ultimately, the best thing The Brand has given me is the confidence to enter and leave college. When I came in as a freshman, I intended to just put my head down and work. I would not get involved in clubs and organizations, I would just study. However, my stampede wrangler, Elijah Arias, an economics and accounting alumnus from San Angelo, posted that The Brand was hiring and, on a whim, I applied. The experience allowed me to realize that I could be involved, do well in school and still have time to be around friends and family.

I am very pleased to be passing down the title of Editor-in-Chief to Lauren Sincerney, a sophomore music education major from Hewitt, who has been working for me for the past two years. She will do an amazing job, so expect some very great things coming from The Brand in the next few years.

As I said, I am very bad at goodbyes, so as I head off to Texas Tech University Health Science Center to receive my masters degree in speech-language pathology, just know that this may not be the last time I write for this outstanding newspaper. But if it is, goodbye HSU and goodbye The Brand, you will always have a special place in my heart.