The Stute has been around since 1904. Don’t believe me? It’s on the cover of every issue! And being a part of such a long-standing organization is something that never ceases to amaze me. There have been hundreds of Stuters to come before me, and I’m sure there will be thousands afterward. But right now, at this very moment, it is awesome to see us both making history and documenting the present simultaneously, and in the most aesthetic way possible. Naturally, starting over a century ago, The Stute has seen different formats — paper, for starters. And now there’s an online presence as well, both on different social media platforms and in website form.
It should come as no surprise that I’m writing about The Stute, it’s something I love talking about because I’m proud to be a part of this organization. One of my favorite things to bring up is how there is a place for everyone here. Make no mistake, putting out a weekly print publication is no small feat, especially on top of rigorous course loads. Yet, there are dozens of people who put in the work necessary to make it happen day after day, week after week. We have photographers, writers, copyeditors, layout designers, people who run it all, and even a paper/pizza delivery guy. Top to bottom, left to right, we have it all covered. The result is a unique culture of people from all sorts of backgrounds with all sorts of interests uniting to make this paper happen.
When I first joined The Stute I mostly wanted to be a part of an active organization on campus, and little did I know how much it would eventually mean to me. Now, as Managing Editor of The Stute, I really get a fuller understanding of the importance of things like sticking to the expected word count, humor, and how a little pizza and a little music go a long way to keep people in the office, hard at work. (I mean, we are college students after all. It doesn’t take much past free pizza.)
Talking to other columnists, there’s sometimes this mindset of “meh, why should I care what I write? Who’s gonna read it anyway?” And I’ve definitely fallen into that at some points too. Recently, however, I’ve been looking at past editions of the Stute and now I realize that, though maybe it could be true and no one will read this article the week it comes out, it will always be there far down the line for another curious Stuter to someday look and see college through the eyes of two nineteen-year-old girls in 2022; myself and Gianna.
There are a lot of reasons I love looking at past editions of the Stute — though many years separate those in the Stute now and those who have been a part of it within the past 118 years, the humor and affinity for inside jokes are still as strong as ever. That, plus it’s really intriguing to be able to see how such a long-standing institution has changed over the years. People get accepted and graduate every year, new buildings go up and old ones come down, and yet the comedy of a predominantly STEM school never gets old. So cheers to all those who’ve been a part of The Stute before and all who will come after; make the most of it. And oh? What was that? Another perfect 580 word article? Smooth 🙂
Second-Year Freshman is an Opinion column used to explore the unique experiences of Sophomore students who studied remotely their freshman year during the coronavirus pandemic, and are now experiencing campus life for the first time during the 2021-2022 academic year.
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