I’ll never forget the feeling of newsprint between my fingers when I picked up my first-ever copy of the Wheel. Even before I was admitted to Emory, I told myself I absolutely had to be on the newspaper. It was non-negotiable. I came out of my high school paper still craving both the high-stress environment of an amateur newsroom and the euphoria that follows a week of painstaking work. I knew I would still need that cadence in my life.

When I showed up to the interest meeting at Harland Cinema, someone handed me a copy of that week’s issue. I squeezed myself between dozens of wide-eyed freshmen flirting with a stint on the paper. Back then, I didn’t know if I had what it took to be a part of such an ambitious enterprise. I barely knew if I had what it took to be an Emory student. I wish I knew then what I know now — that while this work does not require the smartest mind, it does require a courageous heart.

In job interviews, people ask me what possible value working on a student newspaper can bring to my resume. I always rattle off the same answers: working on a team, meeting hard deadlines, strengthening my writing skills. On some level, I resent the premise of the question. Does there need to be a self-serving reason to do work that’s good for the community? 

My biggest disappointment with Emory is how salient this mindset is on campus: “If you’re not going to medical school, law school or Goldman Sachs, why are you even at Emory? There’s no reason for liberal arts classes because they don’t teach you anything useful. General education requirements are a waste of time, and I could graduate earlier without them.” 

I hear these things and want to vomit all over myself. Emory is pre-professional to a fault. And I worry that students never slow down long enough to consider their purpose. What do they ultimately hope to accomplish?

I don’t think it’s inherently bad to go to the business school (obviously, I went there) or to strengthen your job qualifications. I don’t even think it’s bad to take a job in the private sector. But these decisions must be accompanied by a sense of vocation and what we owe to our community. Throughout my time at Emory, I’ve waffled between career paths. I still don’t know what lies ahead. But I’d like to believe that the next 50 years of my life will be in service to others.

I joined the Wheel because I wanted to prove to myself that I was capable. I stayed on the Wheel because for the first time in my life, I really felt like I was making a difference in my community. I’m so proud of the stories I’ve been able to tell and of the paper I helped to build. 

For me, the Wheel was my way to do something that actually mattered. I hope other people can find that, too.

Niraj Naik is from Twinsburg, Ohio, and served as co-editor-in-chief of The Emory Wheel from 2019-2020. He has no plans at the moment.