A fast but enjoyable ride
By: Billy Owens, Assistant Sports Editor
Well, that was fast.
My three years at The Towerlight — two years as a staff writer and one as Assistant Sports Editor — have gone by a lot faster than I expected.
In case you don’t read the sports section, let me introduce myself: Hi, I’m Billy.
I like watching and writing about sports, and I try to be funny on Twitter while also sometimes tweeting about tennis and D.C./Baltimore sports teams (follow me @billyowens174 for a daily chuckle). I also love dogs and cats, and I want one of each badly.
I started at The Towerlight February of my sophomore year. I hadn’t written for any publication before, so I sheepishly waited a year and a half of college before forcing myself to fill out an application. My favorite sport is tennis, which I made sure to mention in my application.
A few days later, I heard back from Jordan, who was Sports Editor at the time, with my first story assignment. Guess which team I’d be writing about as part of our spring sports preview? Tennis!
Over the past three years, I’ve been able to cover the Towson women’s tennis team and get to know a lot of the players, including the five seniors that will be graduating with me this spring.
I’ve also developed a great friendship and professional relationship with the team’s Head Coach, Jamie Peterson. He’s not only been a rock-solid source for my tennis recaps, but he’s also been a tremendous help with two of my journalism classes over the years as well, which I’m extremely grateful for. I wish him and the team the best of luck in the future.
When I was named Assistant Sports Editor last fall, I started expanding beyond tennis, writing recaps and previews for swimming and diving, gymnastics, golf and softball. I edited story submissions for the first time and eventually started working directly on our section’s print layout using software I had no idea how to use.
I’ve since grown intimately familiar not just with my duties as an assistant editor, but with all the wonderful people I work alongside in our office on Mondays. The relaxed, welcoming atmosphere and amazing camaraderie we share in that office on production days has been one of my favorite parts of college, and is something I’m going to miss dearly.
It doesn’t hurt that our staff actually laughs at my deadpan sarcastic quips every once in a while, too.
To the Towerfam — Marcus, Jordan, Bailey, Mel, Kerry, McKenna, Brendan, Sarah, Tori and especially Karuga — thank you all for making this tennis geek feel welcome as a fellow editor and encouraging me to grow as both a journalist and a person. You’re all wonderful people and you all have great futures ahead of you.
Looking back, I’m eternally grateful that I submitted that application on that gray February morning. I can’t imagine what I would have done the past five semesters of college without it.
Yo, hell yeah.