The Last Lecture

It is bittersweet to write my last editorial, and perhaps last opinion piece ever, for The Stute. As many of you know, I started as the freshman columnist nearly four years ago and have contributed to the paper every week since. Over the years, I have written dozens of articles, designed the layout for hundreds of pages, curated unique and meaningful features, and been lucky to meet so many people.

Thanks to the dedication and commitment of our current and former e-board and staff writers, our small club has grown so much. From the nights in Jacobus where we would cry out of exasperation, to times we’d share a hearty laugh over campus politics (or that week’s Off Center piece), The Stute has created so many precious memories for me. I am confident, like many Editors in the past, that The Stute will continue to grow and thrive beyond my time.

Regardless of who is on the new e-board, they are all far more qualified than I was when I began my term. They are not only better writers, but also better editors, better designers, better communicators, and better people. They are more prepared to handle challenges, considering how this year alone has been a total circus. We have literally seen it all: campus vandalism, trashcan explosions, random wi-fi outages, perpetual SGA vacancies, a record number of resignations, protests, petitions, and priority scheduling being taken away but then not really. Clubs still lack accessible storage, some peer leaders still haven’t gotten paid, the school is getting less and less transparent with policy changes and restrictions related to clubs, budgeting, snacks, and catering. Campus construction has an editorial for itself, and academics would have deserved one, if I wasn’t a biz tech. No one will ever forget the ransomware attack which left the whole school in shambles for weeks. The Stute’s computers were out of commission for months (and several still are). Not to mention we had to deal with moving offices twice in the same year.

And now (while it isn’t anyone’s fault), the COVID-19 pandemic has made classes online for potentially the entire semester. With professors hospitalized and suspected to have the virus, it’s uncertain whether or not we will be meeting again this semester, never mind publish. At the very least, we’ll be having elections online through video call. All these things are frustrating and set us and many other student orgs back.

Still, we persevere and keep publishing, keep contacting people to write stories, and try our best to navigate relationships and improve our readership and reputation. That is what our predecessors have always done, and future students will keep doing. If they made it through wars, we can make it through this.

We might not do everything correctly. People might criticize us more often than say thank you. I’ve learned that no one will ever invite you to their office to commend you on your nice columns that uplift and inspire people — they’ll only see your faults, condemn you, blame you for spreading negativity, and make you feel like a bad person. After experiences like these, is it even surprising that I can’t trust anyone?

Being Editor-in-Chief has been an invaluable experience that challenged me to think critically, write more, and even led me to my dream job. But man, is it overrated. You really can’t understand this role unless you’ve lived it — the sleepless nights, the difficult emails, feeling that 30 plus people are counting on your guidance, and the anxiety that comes from hundreds of people waiting at 12:01 a.m. to see what this week’s stories are. It’s a different kind of stress when you’re President — you are at fault when things go wrong. I seriously wonder how real professionals like The New York Times handle it — it’s immensely stressful and scary for an amateur like me. We try our best though, sacrifice all these things because we just want to create positive change for the community.

I would like to sincerely thank my current e-board for supporting me through such a wild ride, Alex and Maryia from the previous e-board for giving great advice on leadership and managing The Stute. Can’t wait to do Biergarten and East LA with you two as retirees! I would like to thank Professor John Horgan, our unofficial but honorary advisor. We might not be the most responsive, but we do read your feedback every time and try to implement as much as possible. Please keep sending those comments even after I’m gone! I would like to thank all my friends who are leaders in various clubs and organizations that have helped me piece together stories last minute (you are the real ones) and friends that let me rant to them or cry to them about Stute even though they have no idea what’s going on.

To the new e-board: Don’t be discouraged and don’t be swayed by opportunistic people who try to manipulate you. You will do amazing and you will find your way. It might take longer, but always investigate peoples’ stories, do you what you believe is right, and consult each other before making decisions. Rebuilding our relationships and using our platform to help other student orgs should be the next steps. There is strength in numbers, so the support of peers and friends will be imperative to increasing The Stute’s relevancy and readership for years to come. I will always be supporting you as a former EIC, but also as a friend cheering you on and reading online. Farewell for now, but not for long!