It is with a sense of gratitude — and a little bittersweet tug — that I say goodbye to the community and exciting work that made my four years leading multimedia efforts as Photo Editor of The News-Letter so special. Through taking thousands of photos, crafting dozens of photo essays and developing as a storyteller on the Homewood Campus, I am grateful to be closing this chapter with so many memories to look back on.
My connection with photography began with my love for the outdoors. Whether hiking, biking, backpacking, kayaking or just traveling, I was fascinated by the stillness of landscape photography. My camera quickly joined each adventure, allowing me to fully appreciate details, open spaces, individuals and moments that might not have been originally explored.
What I have learned is that photographs hold their value over time. It is not always about the visual aesthetic, but about capturing emotion or connection with others. These photos have the potential to become keepsakes for years to come. Looking back, it might bring you a smile, a laugh or even a tear. It is special how we as a generation can have so many tangible memories that remind us of who we were, who we were with and the emotion connected to that exact moment. As Ferris Bueller famously said, “Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.”
This is an amplified process during our college experience. Over four years, we have gone through a transformative time of personal growth, faced academic successes and challenges, and shared meaningful moments with friends and family. Think about late-night study sessions, cheering at a sports event, attending an event on campus, exploring part of the city or simply just the joy of celebrating your undergraduate milestones with your friends along the way; it is in these moments that the quiet yet powerful effect of a photograph can truly shine.
A recent picture that popped up on my phone was from freshman move-in day. It was an instant flashback through time to the nervous excitement from the chaotic energy of that day. This photo perfectly encapsulated the beginning of this incredible chapter that is now coming to a close.
We live in a time when many of us take pictures and rarely return to see them again. With so many opportunities to smile for the camera and document our lives, I encourage you to scroll through your camera roll to relive some moments from your undergraduate journey that you might have forgotten. Maybe even put some of your favorites in an album that, in a few months, when the change of pace sets in after graduation, you’ll have something to turn to. And why not? We are all writing our own individual stories and living unique experiences worth sharing with others.
As we get closer to commencement and beyond, I look forward to taking more photos for the sake of taking photos. During future Alumni Weekends and conversations with our future families, we will be able to tell stories with visual memories to complement and add to them. It has been an honor to document, share, experience and celebrate our journey together as the Class of 2025. For that, I am thankful.
Steven Simpson is from East Stroudsburg, Pa. and is graduating with a degree in Film and Media Studies and minors in Leadership Studies, Marketing and Communications, Entrepreneurship and Management, Business, and Accounting and Financial Management. He is the former Photo Editor and Webmaster for The News-Letter.