The vaguest part of the description for my role as editor-in-chief is to “ensure the successful fulfillment of The Stute’s purpose.” Some clarity can be found inThe Stute’s Constitution, which specifies: “The purpose of The Stute is to advance the knowledge and practices of journalism by producing a newspaper and maintaining a website. The physical and digital paper shall inform and influence the student body and act as a medium for student expression so as to further evoke and foster the true spirit of Stevens.” While the wording of this article has evolved over the years, it transcends generations. The legacy of The Stute shows that it is more than just a publication; it is an entity that has evolved through the years, encompassing countless narratives, voices, and contributions. Over the past few months, I’ve had the privilege of connecting with some of the voices from our past, with those who (hopefully) will represent our future, and get to kick off this year with our present members.
In June, we participated in Alumni Weekend 2023 and held a Stute Alumni Gathering. This event provided a unique opportunity to engage in conversations with Stute members from decades past and learn about how much our organization has evolved since their time, while also discovering surprising similarities that have endured over the years. The best way to describe this event was heartwarming, seeing the genuine appreciation we all share for the chance to connect with other generations of The Stute and bond over our shared experience.
During the summer we held The Stute weekend, an exciting opportunity for incoming first-year students to stay on campus for a weekend and get involved with The Stute before the semester starts. The event drew together a diverse group of individuals with a wide range of interest areas. Some people were even interested in layout! One of the most gratifying parts of the weekend was the realization that these newcomers will eventually become the future leaders of The Stute, which is super exciting because this is a really great group of students. This sense of continuity is especially meaningful to me, as I had people I looked up to when I first joined The Stute. It feels so wholesome and full circle that now I’m leading this organization and am a mentor to this new group.
The current generation of The Stute is truly a great one. We hold the responsibility of fulfilling our own purpose. I am thankful for the past Stute members for establishing the organization as it stands today. I am excited to introduce future generations to the world of Stute. And I am honored to lead the current set of Stute members as we kick off Volume CXXI!
