Photo courtesy of Kat Salmon/The Hofstra Chronicle

I have no idea how to begin my senior send-off. I’ll start off by saying that The Hofstra Chronicle was my first family at Hofstra. These four years really flew by faster than I ever could have expected.

During my freshman year, I had no idea where I was going to fit at this new school. Long Island was a new place to me. My dad’s parents were from the Island, so I have family all over. Two of my second cousins – Shane and Kerry – would even be attending Hofstra with me that fall.

I went to high school with my first cousins, so I thought college would be a similar experience. In a sense it was, but I did not end up seeing my cousins every day like I thought I would. Whenever there was a men’s soccer game, I would try my best to go and sit with my family in the stands. It was a comforting feeling that someone from my family would be there, but I still felt lost.

Writing and books have always provided a sense of community, and I was on the lookout for a similar feeling at Hofstra. At Hofstra’s club fair, The Hofstra Chronicle was tabling and I signed the interest form. Little did I know, the Arts and Entertainment (A&E) section would become the biggest highlight of my college experience.

Writing reviews had always been my thing with my book review blog, so the student-run newspaper seemed like a good place to start. Of course, only one of the articles I wrote was remotely related to books. Eloisa James, a historical romance author, shared that article on her Facebook page – that’s the moment I knew my writing meant something.

Themed layout nights, scrambling to get articles to the copy team on time and writing creative photo captions bring back some of my fondest memories. Eleni’s Twitter roasts of anyone who did not dress to theme are missed. I apologize for not continuing tradition, as senior year was more stressful than expected.

Being a part of The Hofstra Chronicle has allowed me to grow immensely as a writer. Whoever picked up a print edition was able to read a variety of articles written by me from album reviews to movie reviews to TV recaps and some commentary pieces. It’s bittersweet that this will be my last article, but ending my journey on a high note is worth it.

Eleni and Victoria, thank you for taking me under your wing and bringing me on as an assistant. It’s been such a fun experience! Arts and Entertainment will forever be my home, and I will never forget layout nights with the both of you.

Drashti, thank you for being one of the kindest people in the office. If it were not for Eleni’s kind words about you, I would have never worked up the courage to talk to you.

Melanie, I am forever grateful for conversations about books and fashion. I miss not seeing you on campus, but I know that you’re thriving while wearing the most fashionable outfit.

Aidan, we got so much closer these past two semesters. A&E would not be the same without you talking about “Survivor,” “Big Brother” or “RuPaul’s Drag Race.” I’ll miss not being able to run into you on campus and chatting about life. Our section is in great hands with you, so don’t stress.

There are more people I have to thank, but I have a word count to keep in mind. The Hofstra Chronicle is in good hands, and it will thrive.