German Poet Charles Bukowski’s gravestone reads “DON’T TRY”. This comes off awfully cynical and dismissive of one’s dreams but is actually quite the opposite. While some may read his last piece of advice to the world as pessimistic and contemptuous, telling people not to bother with their aspirations, this couldn’t be further from his point. When Bukowski said “Don’t try.” he rather meant never force anything. He said he wrote because he ‘had to’. I believe that the best material was written by people who felt so compelled to tell a story they weren’t comfortable until it was told. As a journalist for this newspaper, I hope to tell real stories that I feel a need to put out there. I enjoy literature, film, television and music, and I’m especially interested in history. I enjoy things that ask more questions than they answer. My favorite kind of music is classic rock, but I can also appreciate contemporary alternative music. I love thrillers, science fiction, and crime dramas especially.