Courtesy of Robert Kinnaird / The Hofstra Chronicle

It’s ironic how much difficulty I’m having with beginning this send-off. As a journalism major, writing is what I’m supposed to be able to do with ease. Give me an album to review or a person to feature and I don’t struggle to write. But how do you write a goodbye to one of the best parts of your college experience? 

This paper, and the incredible staff of journalists who work their asses off every week to put out the content you see, has changed me in so many ways. I would not be the journalist I am without The Chronicle; I would have missed out on meeting some of my closest friends if it weren’t for The Chronicle; and I would not have stayed at Hofstra if it weren’t for this.

Anyone who knows me knows that I’m a complainer. My suitemate and I have a list of things we hate about Hofstra. Though there are many aspects of Hofstra I complain about, one thing that could never be on that list is The Hofstra Chronicle.

I joined The Chronicle my freshman year. I started as a copy editor because I was terrified of interviewing people but loved to edit. I was promoted to assistant copy chief by the end of my freshman year and have been on this e-board since then. When I joined freshman year, I had no idea how much The Chronicle would come to mean to me.

I knew from the moment I walked into my first layout night and the playlist included Matchbox Twenty, Red Hot Chili Peppers and classic rock that I belonged on The Chronicle (huge shoutout to “Kevin and PJ’s Wedding Playlist” – the music simply hasn’t been the same since you left). From there, the sense of belonging and home that this paper has given me has only grown. 

I can’t express how much of an impact this paper has had on my life. The Chronicle has taught me more about journalism than any class in my three years here has. Here in this tiny little brick-walled office, with our mismatched office chairs (half of which will probably be the cause of a lawsuit in the near future) and computers that crash on us at least twice a night, something amazing happens. 

In this little office, a small group of us are responsible for being the voice of all the students that go to Hofstra. We track down the stories that need to be reported on; we give people a platform to share their experiences and opinions; and we keep the community informed. 

In a world where the truth is constantly being attacked and accusations of fake news run rampant, our writing and our voices are our weapons. We bring this university the truth weekly: the good, the bad and the ugly of what’s happening on campus and off. 

One of my favorite David Bowie songs says, “These children that you spit on as they try to change their worlds are immune to your consultations, they’re quite aware of what they’re going through.”

Here at The Chronicle, we’re aware of what we’re going through – what the Hofstra community at large is going through – and we aim to keep students, faculty and administration informed. That may receive backlash from certain groups or individuals, but it is our responsibility and our honor to be the source that does that. 

I’ve seen the paper grow immensely since I joined. Our layout, our content, everything is a million times better and that’s thanks in part to our leadership. Joe Fay, our leader, our editor-in-chief, you are what makes this paper run. Your dedication to this paper and your enthusiasm for taking it to new heights is why The Chronicle looks as good as it does now. 

Katie Krahulik, you inspire all of us to be the best journalists that we can be. Your passion for journalism, for a good story and for keeping the community informed is what keeps us all creating the amazing content that gets put out week after week. 

To my copy team. You guys are my literal saviors. Thank you for hating Oxford commas, for being grammar nerds like me and for making sure our editing process doesn’t suck. Though the work we do may not be obvious to everyone, know that you are appreciated more than you know – this paper would not run without copy.

To everyone else who’s part of this paper, thank you. You’ve made me a better journalist and a better human. You push me to constantly strive to be my best so that we as a team can put out the best content possible. To the rest of the seniors, I can’t wait to see the amazing accomplishments you all will achieve. 

To everyone remaining at this publication, keep up the incredible work. Appreciate the time that you have left and all that you will learn from being a part of this paper. I promise that although this little brick office may not seem like much, by the time you leave you’ll wish you had just one more layout night left. I know I do.