I’ve been thinking about how Samford will remember me. I doubt I’ll personally be remembered, but I hope The Crimson leaves a lasting mark. When I became Public Relations Manager the summer before junior year, I set myself a challenge: I wanted Samford to appreciate The Crimson as much as I did. I wanted others to see the hard work and talent my friends poured into the paper every week. Building relationships with students through our social media, I was surprised at how people started to connect with our work. Soon, students recognized the quality and uniqueness of our paper and turned to us to learn and stay informed about campus life.
When I accepted this role, I never imagined it would become such a defining part of my life. I couldn’t have been more mistaken. About once a week, someone recognizes me or calls me “The Crimson Girl.” The comment I cherish most is, “I never read The Crimson, but then I started following y’all on Instagram, and now I read it every week.” That means so much more than any award or growth insight, not just because people associate me with the paper, but because that’s the heart of our mission: to keep Samford students informed and engaged.
One thing I will never take for granted is that The Crimson never felt like a chore. I truly loved this job. The office became my favorite place on campus, and my coworkers grew into my closest friends. Each week, I looked forward to coming to work because it was something I genuinely enjoyed. I recognize how rare that is, and I know it won’t always be the case in my future work. That’s why The Crimson will always hold a special place in my heart.
Looking back, I’m incredibly proud of the papers we produced and the work I contributed. We’ve built a strong foundation, and I’m excited to see how next year’s very talented staff will carry it forward.
I hope my silly videos made people laugh and that my stories were informative. But more than anything, I hope every Crimson senior shares the same pride in this paper and its people that I do. I’m deeply grateful for everyone I’ve worked with over the past two years. If I could, I would list each of you and the mark you’ve left on me, but this is already long enough.
Thank you to everyone who liked and commented on our posts. You’re the reason I got to keep my job for so long. I hope you’ll keep supporting and reading The Crimson because it truly is a special paper. Sharing its story with Samford has been my greatest joy. Thank you for giving me the best job I could have ever asked for.
Much love,
“The Crimson Girl” Lola Casey
Public Relations Manager
