It’s that moment of the semester when final exams are the subject of our small talks, camaraderie grows among students speed-walking to catch deadlines at similarly slow paces, and professors conclude our classes with the ironic sameness of, “Yeah. It’s just been a weird semester this year.”
On a lazy afternoon last Friday, when Sam should have been making drinks, I should have been baking, and Catja was actually doing her work, we were prompted by a blank page in the questions notebook in Coffee Grounds. I wrote in the book, “What are you proud of this semester?” in a feeble yet sincere attempt to brighten the undeniable anxiety I had been observing and admittedly emitting myself. I have no idea what kinds of things have populated that page since, but it did, in truth, get me thinking. Catja wrote down “TCV” and I wholeheartedly agree.
For instance, rolling out our new TCV newsletter was a huge milestone, spearheaded by Zoe Dubelier on layout and Adrien Prouty and Grace Flynn on the editing team. You can check it out as soon as you open The College Voice website, or scan this QR code:
And, my current visual is as humbling as it is a source of pride: all of us on this layout Sunday, huddled in the hot TCV office with little to no concept of time since we have no real window – unless you’re counting the generous 3’x5’ view we have of the 1962 room. Constantly in the business of “making it work” together, it’s gratifying to see everyone putting their heads together and watching the many sides of student journalism join in one space. Our last issue of the semester is packed with the power of collective protest over campus projects, centered around the recently proposed Crozier-Williams building and boulevard renovation projects. You can find Sam Maindenberg’s spotlight on the cross country team on page 8, a highly-anticipated review of The Moors on page 14 by Caleb Butler ‘26, and iconic cartoons by Althea Tierney ‘25 on page 18.
I have a “managing editor” confession: despite having several “managing” titles on campus, I struggle with the implied authoritativeness of it. I shrink when I have to command – or expected to reprimand – large groups of people, serving as a point-person, and I fail mostly at the balance between being accessible and maintaining boundaries. Fortunately for me, The College Voice has a slew of student staff who are inspired, dedicated, and constantly producing bright ideas to keep our beloved paper running with tight turnarounds and deadlines.
Looking forward, we intend to hit the ground running next semester. Interested in joining us? Come to our first pitch meeting of 2023 on our first Sunday back at 8pm in the Alice Johnson room, or follow @the_collegevoice on Instagram for reminders in real time. We are also on Connquest, and reachable by email at thecollegevoice@conncoll.edu. We’re always looking for writers, artists, and those interested in layout design and photography.
I hope you all take a moment to reflect on an accomplishment of any size this semester and enjoy your well-deserved break. Happy Holidays from TCV!
Warmly,
Lucie Englehardt (Managing Editor)