When I first started writing for The Chronicle, I’d have never believed you if you told me I’d soon be making the jump from news writer to editorial editor. However, while I certainly never expected to make this jump, I’m so grateful that fate played out the way it did. Upon taking this role, my vision was to head a section that sparked multifaceted, intellectual conversations within the Hofstra community on a consistent basis, and I am so proud to say that we have done just that.
Whether we were running pieces on politics, economics or societal issues, I am glad that we were able to and encouraged deliberation through these pages. On a more local level, I am thrilled that these pages served as a platform through which students and the administration could have an open dialogue on the issues most important to them – even if they may have butted heads while doing so. By refusing to run away from (and often, embracing) contentious topics, this paper has become an outlet in which anyone can have a voice.
I cannot express how proud I am of how far this section has come and I am incredibly humbled to have been tasked with leading it. Between the hyper-political “Party Line” staple pieces to our newer “Expert Analysis” feature, heading the editorials section has become one of my favorite projects – on or off campus.
From the weekly inclusion of our very own Hofstra experts, to getting an editorial from Hillary Clinton, to having a professor from Australia come to us to publish a piece, this section has become larger than I, or anyone at The Chronicle could have ever dreamed, and I know that it will only continue to grow.
This position taught me invaluable professional skills like delegation, teamwork, time management and leadership, but perhaps most importantly, it taught me how crucial editorial writing is to modern discourse – especially in conjunction with a fair, open press.
We often, and gladly, printed editorials that were critical of university policies, that criticized political leaders, that challenged conventional wisdom and that expressed “the unpopular opinion.” In today’s climate this is especially important – for what is the point of a civilized democracy if there is no room for dissent?
Of course, I would be remiss not to acknowledge the wonderful work my team has done. To my assistant, Kirn: thank you so much for all of your help these last two years. Having you by my side through all the ups and downs has made this job easier, and I can truly say that there are times that I wouldn’t have been able to do it without you.
To our new assistant Andy: thank you for taking on your role as quickly and as dutifully as you have – as a writer you have contributed great things to the section, and I can’t wait to see you grow as an editor (even if it’s from afar).
To my wonderful, wonderful writers: at the end of the day, this all would be impossible without you. Thank you for being brave enough to share your opinions with the world and for trusting me with your pieces week after week. Seeing your passion and your growth both as a collective section and as individuals truly fills me with hope for the future of The Chronicle.
And lastly, to the rest of The Chronicle staff: thank you for your friendship, and for always standing with us – even when the student body, the administration and perhaps you yourselves disagreed with something published in the section (I’m sure at this point that you’ll forever have my voice saying “but op-eds are meant to spur discussion!” etched into your memories). There truly is no other group of people I would rather do layouts with on a Monday night; I’ll miss working while listening to “Africa” on what seems like an endless loop.
From covering a presidential debate, to reporting from the floor of CPAC, to interviewing people like Stephen Hayes and Eugene Robinson, serving on The Chronicle has afforded me unique opportunities I never would have had elsewhere. Being a part of this paper has truly made me both a better journalist and a better person, and for that I will be forever grateful.
The views and opinions expressed in the Editorial section are those of the authors of the articles. They are not an endorsement of the views of The Chronicle or its staff. The Chronicle does not discriminate based on the opinions of the authors.