Amid a morning run into Winnetka, reality struck me.
No, it wasn’t a red-winged blackbird — at least not this time. Note to readers, the area due north of the Baháʼí Temple ought to be labeled bird alley.
I’ve long been labeled crazy (among other things) for my habit of running with no music. It’s a fair criticism, but this practice affords me plenty of time in tune with my own thoughts.
Throughout the past few weeks, I’ve worked on several stories about seniors nearing the end of their college athletic careers. It’s a scenario I’ve covered countless times since my freshman year, and one of my go-to questions in these interviews inquires about a sense of finality creeping in so close to the natural end.
But on this particular day, that same sense spiraled in my head. With Northwestern hosting the 2026 NCAA Division I Women’s Lacrosse Championship, my final game coverage as a Northwestern student was less than a week away.
What dawned on me is that I’ve never truly defined “a sense of finality.” Sure, there are the immediate emotions that arrive alongside the final buzzer. As a washed-up former high school athlete, I’ve grappled with these firsthand. But my developing concept as graduation looms extends beyond that.
While I assume everyone has their own definition, I consider it a collection of memories that emerges toward the end of a chapter and the beginning of a new story. Like many at the sports desk, my chapter at The Daily closed well over a year ago, but its impact on me has seldom wavered.
Joining the paper continues to prove one of the best decisions I’ve made at NU. I gained mentors whose guidance continues to stick with me, insights into the type of reporter I want to be and friendships that have helped define my Northwestern experience.
Perhaps the true beauty of sports is that no two stories are the same. The same applies to those fortunate enough to tell these tales.
From my first Daily byline — a single-source golf piece about a tournament that I followed way too closely on a live results link — to my last feature on men’s soccer coach Russell Payne, I learned countless lessons a classroom never could’ve taught me.
My time at The Daily afforded me a tour of Big Ten football stadiums and basketball arenas I dreamed of setting foot in as a kid. It brought me courtside at Target Center and the Barclays Center and to Championship Weekend in Cary, North Carolina.
The venues and events were unforgettable, but the relationships we forged in a truly eclectic newsroom will always stay with me.
To every player, coach and family that trusted me with their stories, I cannot thank you enough. I simply could not have done this work without you. To all who’ve taken the time to edit my — often overly verbose — work, thank you for putting up with me and helping me improve as a writer and reporter.
And to everyone who’s helped make The Daily a welcoming and enriching experience for people like me to discover a love of storytelling, my deepest gratitude goes out to you.
Alright. That’ll wrap us up.
Email: [email protected]
X: @jakeepste1n
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