Why I joined The News-Letter, and why you should, too

I walked into the Student Involvement Fair just as overwhelmed and lost as every other freshman going through the sensory overload of the first week of college. I wound my way through row after row of clubs, putting my name and email down for a few, until I saw a group of students occupying the path, thrusting newspapers at all passersby and corralling students towards the sign-up laptops. I took a paper, got into a prolonged conversation with one of the editors, typed my information into the computer. The rest is history.

Two years later, I’m entering my third year at Hopkins as an editor-in-chief of The News-Letter, now my second home. After spending my freshman year as a news writer and sophomore year as a News & Features Editor, I know that joining The News-Letter was without a doubt the best decision I have made at Hopkins, a decision that has made me grow in ways I never foresaw.

Before coming to Hopkins, I had always been an avid reader of the news, but had never tried journalism. For my first article, I volunteered to cover a silent demonstration that the Black Student Union held protesting the death of Michael Brown, an unarmed black man shot dead by a white police officer in Ferguson, Missouri.

Listening to the organizers of the protest and passersby, I could feel the moment’s importance, and I suddenly became aware that I was the only one there to chronicle it. That realization made it clear to me that the best way I could contribute to Hopkins was to join The News-Letter and ensure that critical moments of campus history couldn’t be forgotten. The editors trusted a rookie with an important article because they were backing me up and advising me every step of the way. I’m proud that The News-Letter doesn’t turn away anyone, regardless of their experience.

Throughout freshman year, the editors of News & Features section encouraged me to write with purpose, think clearly and strive for accuracy. My editors weren’t afraid to constructively  criticize me and offer advice. If I made a serious mistake, a historic moment could be misportrayed and the reputation of the paper could be sunk.

During our coverage of the Baltimore uprising of April 2015, all of us realized that we had an obligation to create a reliable record of what Hopkins students were doing in a defining moment for our city. Our coverage of student protests, prayer vigils and the city-wide situation reinforced the critical place that The News-Letter has on campus and in the community. I’m proud of the award that we won for our coverage, but even more proud of how the events unified our team. We can’t let each other down, or the paper isn’t published.

The paper’s commitment to diversity of opinion and balanced reporting is vital and unshakeable. Even if the entire editorial staff personally favors one side of an argument, it is our duty as student journalists to set aside our opinions, no matter how strongly held, when reporting and editing controversial stories. We fiercely guard our editorial independence, even when the paper has waded into controversial waters. I’m proud that the University and other student groups have never succeeded in telling us what and what not to cover.

While no paper is perfect, The News-Letter has done its very difficult job well. The paper has made serious mistakes in the past, but we are continuously improving, always looking for new ways to better serve Hopkins’ undergraduate community. We are undergraduates first, and over the next year, The News-Letter aims to become the voice of undergraduates more than ever through its dedication to diversity of opinion, free speech and covering students’ causes.

Now it’s time to get a little sentimental. I have without a doubt made friends for life at The News-Letter. My fellow editors and I have laughed, joked and yelled at each other so many times and made so many difficult decisions that our friendships have been more than tested, they’ve been cemented. The paper introduced me to countless new connections and cool people, and my friends at Hopkins are more diverse in every sense of the word than I ever dreamed. Students from all communities at Hopkins can find a welcoming place at The News-Letter, and the relationships I have shared there are unforgettable.

So if you’re looking for a sense of community, a group of passionate students bound by a sense of responsibility, people who are always pushing each other to be better writers and communicators, and friends with whom you can share inside jokes, join The News-Letter. You won’t regret it. I know I didn’t.