I came to this campus wanting a fresh start from the little hometown I grew up in. The first people I met at Stevens were graduating members of the class of 2024 and 2025. This year and last year’s graduates hold a special place in my heart.
It was those same people who became my mentors and supported me through the whirlwind that is freshman year of college. I cannot explain the sadness of having to let go of people that I have grown so comfortable with.
At the end of this volume CXXII, The Stute has completed 26 issues, 266 pages of layout, and accumulated 59 staff members! Not to mention, we have 16 amazing graduates this year!
During Stute Dinner, I did a little senior send-off slideshow, in which I went through the growth of each senior. I spent four hours going through our digital issues dating back to 2021. There was so much history that I was unaware of.
We never had a Features Editor prior to 2022 — the sports page went missing for two years, the roving reporter was only one-third of a page in opinion, and the layout rules were significantly different! I could go on and on about the history that I uncovered.
The hardest part of researching everyone’s background was the realization that I was not there for it. These are the same students that I have known for two years, and I had no idea of some of the things they did for the Stute in their first and second years. The graduates that I have grown so accustomed to, I only know half of their story.
The Class of 2025 entered during the midst of the pandemic. They did not have a proper Wittpenn Walk experience and still had to wear masks. They were the first class to live in the new University Center Complex and are known as Stevens’s most diverse class to start here.
I am pleased to say I officially know most of the story now, at least the ones that were documented.
Congratulations to all the seniors today. It is because of the Class of 2025 that all of us underclassmen are finally ready to become upperclassmen. They are the ones who kept all of our organizations on campus running smoothly, were valuable players in sports, and were friendly faces to say hi to when walking to class. It is the Class of 2025 that helped keep The Stute running smoothly.
When one door closes, another opens. I am excited to see what everyone does after graduation. I hope to see you all move on to bigger and better. So many hugs to everyone graduating!
