Gabrielle St. Leger has been appointed Hofstra’s new dean of students and assistant vice president for Student Affairs, effective Monday, Jan. 14.

I’ve grown with this paper for four years now. The Chronicle has allowed me to learn more at Hofstra than I ever could in a classroom. The opportunity to work with this paper made me become a better writer, leader and friend.

I truly believe that it is because of this paper that I am a better journalist. While I respect the professors here, they couldn’t teach me how to actually get out there and report. It was like taking swim lessons on dry land. The Chronicle threw me into the deep end and I never looked back.

Despite this, as the shadow of commencement day looms over me, I am finding myself clinging to the life that I am soon to leave. Suddenly, the unhealthy amount of stress and anxiety mean nothing. The all-nighters, the breakdowns and even the breakups have become nostalgic manifestations of my rollercoaster ride of a life.

Writing has, undoubtedly, been a major part of my life for about as long as I can remember. I have always loved words – writing, reading, editing; the written word has had a profound effect on who I’ve become.

Former Senior Executive Secretary of the Accounting, Taxation and Legal Studies in Business Department Joann Tsapelas was fired on Wednesday, May 3, after 19 years of working at Hofstra and 12 years working in the position having served seven chairs. Tsapelas said she fell victim to alleged bullying tactics within the administration of the Frank G. Zarb School of Business, attributing her removal to the efforts of the current department chair, Dr. Jacqueline A. Burke, who Tsapelas said filed six complaints against the secretary within a year. These complaints were the first and only complaints filed against Tsapelas throughout her 19 years working at Hofstra.

A high turnover rate in the Accounting, Taxation and Legal Studies in Business Department has been linked to an atmosphere of bullying, cronyism and disregard for faculty policy. Since the spring of 2015, seven full-time faculty members that make up one of the largest departments in the Frank G. Zarb School of Business no longer work at Hofstra. Administrators within the school were accused of repeatedly breaching the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), circumventing checks and balances at the university.