As the semester progressed and the end of my tenure as Editor-in-Chief got closer, I expected to feel grief, dread and the desire to prolong my time at Hopkins. Instead, I’ve surprised myself by feeling the opposite and being at peace with the changes to come.
“We’ve done a lot and I am proud,” I say to my co-Editor-in-Chief.
“I’m excited to see how the paper will be different next year,” I tell our incoming editors.
“I can’t believe I’m moving to New York City,” I think to myself.
“I’m too old to be here,” I joke to the underclassmen on the paper.
All of that is true. I do feel ready to move on and deeply excited for the next chapter of my life. I’m proud of all we’ve done and ready to hand the reins over to our incoming EICs.
But last Sunday, as I walked home from The News-Letter’s end-of-year social reading the thoughtful card signed by my fellow editors, it hit me that it was really all over. The part of me that’s startled by how fast time moves and anxious about leaving the community I’ve found finally surfaced, bringing with it a wave of nostalgia.
For the past three years, The News-Letter has been a huge part of my college experience. Slack was often the first app I checked before going to sleep and after waking up (which is not as depressing as it sounds, I promise). I was in daily communication with our editors and edited several articles a day, ranging from Arts to Sci-Tech to Sports. I knew where I would be every Monday at 7 p.m. for general and every Sunday at 3 p.m. for “ed board” and could always count on the adrenaline rush of an upcoming print night. It was familiar, and the work and my fellow editors became an inseparable part of my daily life. It’s jarring to think that in a few weeks it’ll be totally different.
I’ve loved the paper’s community and seeing how our shared passion for journalism brings us together. It gave me a deep sense of purpose to know that our articles were offering important perspectives on campus issues and providing original reporting on the Hopkins community.
I can’t think about my time at Hopkins without remembering late nights in the Gatehouse during print night, laughing over the most random topics with my co-editors, without the chaos of trying to cover breaking news or, most of all, without thinking about the amazing people I’ve worked with.
Don’t get me wrong — being Chief was stressful, especially with the never-ending news cycle that began in January. By the end, I was tired — but never of the people or of the paper’s work. No matter how much was going on or how chaotic things got, I was always grateful to collaborate with editors on work that mattered to our campus and community.
In April of last year, right after we were elected, my co-Editor-in-Chief Shirlene and I wrote a brain-dump list of goals we wanted to achieve — some practical, some possible and some, admittedly, wishful thinking. As our tenure came to a close, I looked back at that list and was surprised by how much we actually accomplished.
Seeing those goals checked off reminded me that I’ve made a real impact on the paper and reassured me that now, it’s time to move forward. We didn’t do it all — one year is long, but not that long — but I’m proud of what we’ve done. Most importantly, I don’t feel regrets or the urge to linger. I’m leaving the paper with a sense of calm and ease I honestly didn’t expect.
From our April Fool’s edition that entertained the student body to our investigative articles, from our timely editorials to our website redesign, I’m proud of what the paper has achieved this year. None of it would’ve been possible without our writers and editors, who worked so hard to make the paper the best it could be.
I’m constantly in awe of them and what they’re capable of, and I can’t wait to see what they do next year. I may not be spending Mondays in the Gatehouse or staying active on Slack anymore, but I’ll definitely be reading.
Samhi Boppana is from Columbus, Ohio and graduated with a degree in Political Science and Natural Sciences. She is a former Editor-in-Chief and Opinions editor for The News-Letter.
