For as long as I can remember, I’ve been obsessed with endings. The last 30 minutes before the credits roll on my favorite movie, the season finale of the show I’m binging, the final chapter of a good book, the last song at a party when everyone sings along together. Maybe it’s just the cinephile in me, but who doesn’t love a good, old-fashioned Hollywood ending?

I’ve always felt like there’s a certain magic in things that are not quite over yet. The sun setting over the horizon, the final chorus of your favorite song. I think I’m drawn to endings because they’re often the most meaningful parts.

And for a girl who’s so obsessed with endings, I sure am dreading this one.

When I joined WQAQ, I was an introverted and awkward teenager. Sure, I had passions and humor and wit, but I kept those parts of myself private, fearing rejection from my peers. I had always felt like a bit of a wallflower growing up, and I was terrified college would be no different.

And in some ways, it wasn’t.

It took me time to adjust, to find my people, my routines, my purpose. But I did. And maybe that’s the beauty of endings, you’ve already made it through the hardest parts.

I still remember how nervous I was for the first episode of The Golden Hour. My voice was shaky and uncertain. I couldn’t stop picturing everyone in my life listening, wondering if I sounded as embarrassed as I felt. But like everything else, it got easier.

I followed my instincts and talked about what I loved, whether I thought it would be entertaining or not. And guess what? It was. Over time, I found support. Not just from my friends in WQAQ, but from people beyond it too. I drew inspiration from everything around me. I tried new things. I failed at some, and succeeded at many.

That’s what made WQAQ so special, there was always someone creative, passionate, and willing to inspire you. And they sure did. 

Looking back, I feel so lucky to have had something that was so unapologetically, entirely my own.

Last night, at our end-of-semester awards ceremony, The Golden Hour was named Best Show—the highest honor you can receive in WQAQ. How’s that for a Hollywood-style ending?

Receiving this award means so much to me, and it feels like a true reflection of my time here. My first semester in the club, I received the award for Best Music Show. At the time, I relied heavily on music. I was too nervous to talk on air, worried I wouldn’t be interesting or funny enough to fill the space. But somewhere along the way, I found my voice.

And now, four years later, to be recognized like this, at the very end, feels like the perfect tribute to that journey.

…

I turned 22 this month, and to celebrate, my roommates took me out to dinner. On the way home, we rolled the windows down, and I stuck my head out of the passenger side, my face still flushed from drinks we shared. I felt the wind sting my cheeks and I sang at the top of my lungs.

Twenty-six days until graduation. Now this is one hell of an ending.

It reminded me of a quote from Paper Towns by John Green:
“It is so hard to leave—until you leave. And then it is the easiest goddamned thing in the world.”

I think part of me is scared that when I leave Quinnipiac, I won’t be me anymore. That who I am has been shaped so deeply by the people, the places, and the moments here that without them, I’ll somehow disappear. But maybe that’s just the old version of me talking. Every ending is also a beginning, and I’ll face this one head-on.

So here’s to my time at WQAQ. To seven incredible seasons of The Golden Hour. To the memories that will stay with me for a lifetime.

Thank you for listening, for supporting me, for watching me grow. Thank you for letting me make mistakes, learn, and become the person I am today. Thank you for being part of it all.

If I had a hundred lives, I would choose to have The Golden Hour in every single one.

So, for one last time: You’ve been listening to The Golden Hour on 98.1 FM. I’ve been your host, Gena McGivney. And I am signing off.

Goodbye, everyone!