Photo Courtesy of Jacob Lewis

The Chronicle is a weird, magical place. It’s a place where I’ve wanted to rip my hair out when articles came in past deadline or cry under the desk when InDesign thought it would be funny to crash before I had the chance to save A&E’s layout. It’s also the place where I met some of my best friends, made my best college memories and grew as not only a writer but as a leader and friend.

Coming to Hofstra, I was uncertain about a lot – number one being if I was even going to stick around or transfer elsewhere. The one thing I did know was that I was going to get involved with The Hofstra Chronicle as soon as possible. And that’s what I did – I went to an A&E section meeting the first week of freshman year where I was honestly scared shitless. I knew no one, and I wasn’t (and I’m still not) a journalism major. Thank god for freshman Eleni for sticking with it despite not knowing anything. I eventually became an assistant during the spring of my freshman year, and I’ve been A&E editor (and the unofficial “Director/CEO of Fun”) since the fall of my sophomore year.

Being an editor for A&E over the past three years has been a rare opportunity. I’ve seen countless iterations of editor-in-chief and managing editors, I’ve seen my friends graduate and leave me behind in the same position I’ve been in since I was an assistant freshman year and I’ve seen the paper before, during and after the pandemic. Now that I’m an old, geriatric editor in the office compared to all our new, young assistants and editors, I feel like an era of the Chronicle is ending. To make an analogy that only an A&E editor would make, this graduating class of Chronicle members feels like a bittersweet series finale, and now it’s time for the spin-off – same place, same plot, new characters. 

I love the Chronicle – like in a very stupid and pathetic way. I’m writing this last minute, sobbing in our office after writing this in my head for the past three years. It’s really hard to describe just how much this newspaper has meant to me over the past few years. I’m so thankful to everyone that has made our office feel like a true second home to me. Spending time in the office with everyone late Monday night laying out the paper, or playing Mario Kart or Just Dance, made me feel like I had a family in this organization and a reason to stay at Hofstra. I hope that if I left this paper with anything, it’s not my articles or my contributions to layout, but that I’ve helped make this paper feel like a family for other people like it has felt for me since freshman year. 

I owe my love for writing, specifically newspaper writing, to my high school English teachers Mr. Stencel and Mrs. Mannle who pushed me to be a better writer and better leader for my school paper where I served as the editor-in-chief. I truly wouldn’t be who I am today without their guidance and support. I’d like to thank everyone in the office, especially all the close friends I’ve made throughout the years (who I won’t list out of fear of leaving people out), for making the stressful, tedious task of laying out something to look forward to. Thank you to Brian McFadden for being the best advisor we could ask for. And finally, I’d like to thank Taylor. When I was just a scared assistant in spring 2019, Taylor had a Chron barbeque. I was, again, scared shitless, being a new assistant that knew no one. Turns out I had no reason to be because, as I soon came to realize, this paper attracts really cool and amazing people. Since that day, I would lean on Taylor to guide me as an editor – I looked up to her as a mentor, and she made this office turn from this intimidating place to one of my favorite places in the world. 

Leaving sucks – there is no better way to put it. I’ve been a journalist since I was 11, writing for Kidsday, and I’ve been working on a school paper since I was 15, writing for The New Hyde Park Chariot. Saying goodbye to that part of my life just sucks. As a public relations major, I’m closing the chapter of my life as an entertainment journalist. I feel so lucky to have had something in my life that makes it so incredibly hard to say goodbye. I’m going to miss this office that I spent hours in after classes, the people that have become my best friends and greatest role models and watching the inspiring work that is done here every day. Thank you, Chron, for everything.