Ranger Report by DACODA MCDOWELL-WAHPEKECHE
Northwestern has been the most rewarding experience that I have been a part of in my life.
I am writing this goodbye column because I will be transferring away from Alva and going home to Norman to the University of Oklahoma.
I have been a part of many rewarding opportunities like President’s Leadership Class, cross-country, NWTV-7, the Northwestern News, the Native American Student Association and the Student Government Association.
In those opportunities, I have been able to grow more as a person and serve the students of Northwestern.
The Native American Student Association was formed by Angel Marshall along with Savannah and Bryan Francis.
I was fortunate that I was able to help the process of creating a community of Native Americans at Northwestern.
I am super thankful to have been given that opportunity to make a change in the first semester of my college career.
At that same time, I was a part of Northwestern’s President’s Leadership Class. In that class is where I met the Northwestern News’ editor-in-chief, Jordan Green. I met many people in that class that have shaped my life for the better by showing me new perspectives on things in life.
I came to Northwestern after signing a letter of intent to run cross-country. I ran under the direction of coaches Craig Binkley and Jill Lancaster.
Cross-country was a rewarding experience because I grew close to people from backgrounds that I did not know much about. I felt as if I was wanted and could be a positive piece in their lives.
In the midst of all those opportunities, I got to join the Student Government Association. In the first meeting of August 2019, I was unsure about what I was signing up for.
I told myself that I would give it a try and see where it goes with Student Government Association. Fortunately, it has worked out in my favor that I was able to be more involved than I originally planned.
I found the Student Government Association to be more interesting right before the coronavirus pandemic started.
Olivia Yandel, a co-adviser for the organization, asked if anyone wanted to participate in the Oklahoma Student Government Association’s spring congress meeting in early March.
Spring congress was a great time. I was able to learn more about resolutions and how they can impact Northwestern’s campus.
I wrote a resolution during spring congress that was revised and presented during the fall congress session of 2020.
Opportunities like that and others pushed me to run for secretary of the Student Government Association. I won the 2020 election by four votes, giving me the opportunity to serve people whenever school would resume in-person classes.
The pandemic was tough because we were not able to be around many people.
I was really looking forward to the next school year at Northwestern because we would be slowly moving toward a return to normalcy.
When we came back, I was super involved with the Student Government Association and was starting to enjoy being a part of the newspaper.
I served as the circulation manager while I was enrolled in the news reporting class taught by Dr. Kaylene Armstrong. I was offered the position as the sports editor because the previous editor was moving on.
Doing anything sports-related with media is what I have dreamed about for many years, so I acted upon the offer.
At the beginning of this semester, I told myself I would work hard to report on the important things going on in the athletic side of Northwestern.
It has truly been an honor to serve as the sports editor of the newspaper because I believe Northwestern provides a great opportunity for high school student athletes to continue their athletic careers while obtaining a quality education.
I reported on football’s canceled spring season and the unveiling of the team’s 2021 fall season.
I was also able to assign stories to reporters who told the stories of athletes on campus.
In my opinion, it has been a successful semester of being the News’ sports editor, and I could not have thought of a more meaningful way to better myself professionally.
I am transferring away from Northwestern, but that does not mean that I do not respect or appreciate what has been given to me over the last two school years.
To Ethan Sacket: Thank you for molding me into the man I am today. I came to Northwestern not seeing my full potential, but with your guidance, I have changed for the better and love to serve people whenever possible.
To Olivia Yandel: Thank you for showing me how to become a better leader by trusting me and listening to me. Your continued trust in me over the past year has helped me become more confident in what I can do.
To Jordan Green: Thank you so much for helping me with my journalistic abilities. I would not be in the position I am in today without your weekly – sometimes daily – lessons in journalism.
To all the students of Northwestern: Thank you so much for providing a reason for me to grow as a person. You all come from different backgrounds, and I have loved getting to know most of you personally. There are many opportunities on campus to spark a change that could have a direct or indirect impact on your future and the future of the students of Northwestern. So, don’t be scared to reach out and try to enact change.
To the faculty and staff of Northwestern: Thank you so much for being an inspiration to the students of Northwestern. I could not count how many times I have heard students say they wish there were more people like you in the world because of how kind you are to students, or because you listened to them to talk about whatever they needed to get off their chests.
This won’t be the last time I say this because I am proud of my time here and the experiences I was able to be a part of, but here it is: Ride, Rangers, Ride.