I’ve loved writing since high school, but the experience of writing has always been a private one for me. Until, that is, I started working for The Scarlet & Black — first as a staff writer and then as arts editor.
My favorite part of working for The S&B is how it transformed writing into a collaborative act. Suddenly, my writing became intensely contextual, produced for and about my community, in collaboration with other dedicated staff members. Now as an editor, I witness that collaboration to an even greater extent. Each layout night, a single arts story will pass first through me, then one editor in chief, then one copy editor, then the other copy editor, then the second editor in chief. I find this streamlined flow of communication, ideas and collaboration very rewarding.
Even before becoming arts editor this semester, I spent much of my time as a staff writer covering the arts. Whenever I found myself going to arts events on campus, interviewing visiting authors or talking to students about their creative passions, I felt tremendously lucky to be in the unique position of not only getting to have these amazing experiences, but getting paid for it too. As I’ve gotten older and approached graduation, I’ve realized how rare and special it is to have such a fulfilling job. During my time at The S&B, I have grown more confident in my writing, my interviewing, my editing and my own competency.
Although I am enormously grateful to everyone I have worked with during my time at The S&B for their care and hard work, I would particularly like to thank this semester’s Editors in Chief Nora Kohnhorst `25 and Charlotte Krone `25 for their compassionate and competent steering of the ship. I would also like to thank Sarah Evans `26, one of next year’s two amazing editors in chief, who gave me the confidence and guidance to periodically venture from the comfortable familiarity of arts coverage in order to write news stories — The S&B is in good hands indeed.
Although I’m graduating, I’m sure that I will follow The S&B’s coverage for years to come, and I can’t wait to see what the next generation of staff members will accomplish.
