Let’s walk through a hypothetical.
What would have happened if I didn’t call back then sports editor River Wells on a hot afternoon in August of 2020?
I’ve been thinking about that question a lot lately as I say goodbye to The Alligator. What if I had decided the student newspaper route wasn’t for me? Where would I be? What would my life and career look like?
Well, for starters, I probably would’ve been less stressed out.
The Alligator is no doubt a grind, and I was out to prove my worth as soon I was assigned the men’s and women’s golf beat. After the first fall, I added on the volleyball beat before becoming sports editor in the summer of 2021. After an intense summer, it was onto the football beat in what was the craziest yet most rewarding experience of my life.
I also probably would’ve had more free time too. I could’ve gotten involved in other places, poured more time into things I cared about, like relationships and school. Maybe I would’ve joined other clubs or picked up a new hobby. Who knows what I would’ve done with my time, but there would’ve been a lot more of it to go around.
Which leads to a much more important point. If I hadn’t joined The Alligator, I would never have had some of the greatest experiences of my four years at UF.
I wouldn’t have watched High School Musical 1 and 2 back-to-back at midnight on a random weekday. I wouldn’t have stayed up until 5 a.m. watching 2006 NBA dunk contest highlights waiting for ink to print onto a page. I wouldn’t have made the road trip from hell to Baton Rouge (with a detour to New Orleans, but don’t ask about that) and back in 36 hours. I wouldn’t have driven up to Colombia, South Carolina, to watch the Gators get smoked by the Gamecocks in what was Dan Mullen’s final game.
I wouldn’t have met some people who I consider some of my closest friends. Countless memories flow through my mind as I write this, and maybe someday I’ll find the words to explain all of them.
I could talk about all The Alligator has done for my career. About how if I didn’t join, I never would’ve had the chance to freelance for the New Orleans Saints which eventually led to a summer internship. I don’t want to talk about that, though.
The Alligator isn’t a place. It’s not a product. It’s a community. It’s a group of goofy college students trying to give you the news, objectively and freely.
It hasn’t been a perfect ride. In fact, a lot of times it’s been much less than perfect. Yet, it’s been one of the best rides of my life. There are a lot of people I could shout out who made this ride so special, but that would take up my entire word count, so just know that if we ever worked together, I’m so grateful for you and thank the Lord for how our paths crossed.
I don’t know what’s next. I know some hard decisions are coming down the line (closer than they appear but still). Even though this chapter is officially ending, it’s a chapter I’m so thankful for.
I realize now there’s no need to wonder what if: Everything happened exactly the way it should’ve happened.
“The heart of man plans his ways, but the Lord establishes his steps,” Proverbs 16:9
Goodbye, and thank you.
Michael Hull was an enterprise sports reporter at The Independent Florida Alligator.
Michael Hull is a fourth-year journalism sports & media major and a sports writer at The Alligator. He hosts the weekly sports podcast and has worked on staff for five semesters. In the past, Hull has served as the sports editor, the men's and women's golf beat writer, the volleyball beat writer and the football beat writer.
