By Paulina Gajewski
As I look at the title and scramble for words to write my last piece for the Vanguard, seeing the title of “Editor-in-Chief” is still hard to swallow. It feels like yesterday that I was chasing museum exhibitions and orchestral compositions to bring to life in another medium: words. And yet, in about a week, I will walk across the graduation stage, and student journalism will be in my past, a closed chapter.
What is a past, anyway? Is it trapped within the pages of Herodotus, lost amongst dusty archives? Does it consist of countless hours by a fish pond? Staring at slideshows under glaring fluorescent lights? Or is it the laughter still echoing behind the closed doors of an empty office, the conversations still etched across plastered lounge walls? Perhaps it’s something that we leave behind. Or something that eludes us no matter the extent of the grasp. Or, perhaps, the past, despite all odds, somehow lives on.
Throughout my time at the Vanguard, I’ve had the privilege of experiencing all of the above.
My time at Brooklyn College, like for many of my graduating peers, began when the streets were still a wasteland. All of my classes were online, and colleagues were merely phone numbers on a screen. Early days on the quad were spent in solitude.
Within a semester, the campus returned to what it once was, though to me (not a witness of the before) it seemed to blossom. A year later, once I had cemented myself into the commuter college experience of going to class and returning home, I knew there had to be more.
I loved to write, and I loved the arts- joining the Vanguard felt like a no-brainer. I operated virtually with the team at the time, under Gabriela Flores, Michela Arlia, and Samia Asfar, whose leadership made my work feel worthwhile and valuable. Thank you both for being my first impressions of the paper. It made all the difference.
In the subsequent semester, I was promoted to Arts Editor by our very own Serin Sarsour and Kate Dempsey. Under their mentorship, and spending an entire semester in the role, I began to understand what it meant to write for a newspaper, though they never dulled me of any creativity. I then made my way into Managing Editor, followed by Editor-in-Chief. To be completely honest, how such a progression occurred is still unbeknownst to me. But what I do know is that I have many thanks to deal to the people who got me there.
I want to thank the BC Conservatory of Music and the BC Theater Department, whose shows were some of the first I covered, and whose students are some of the first I interviewed. It was originally my responsibility to shed light on the profound artistic expressions that are offered on this campus, but I found myself attending their shows even when I wasn’t tasked with covering them. Safe to say, once an Arts Editor, always an Arts Editor.
The arts may not be a person, but what a monolith I must thank. Throughout my time here, I was able to cover everything between ancient operas and beatboxers, book releases and museum exhibitions, comedians and concerts. I hope that my odes to the arts did them justice.
I also spent ample time covering campus lectures and guest talks, to which I owe many thanks to the Wolfe Institute. Not only did I begin by covering such exemplary events, but I am grateful to Gaston Alonso, Keanna Benjamin, and the entire Wolfe board for giving me the privilege to join their team. To be part of the process of putting on events for the BC community cannot be understated. Thank you for allowing me a peek into such a world.
The commuter college experience felt isolating almost immediately. Thankfully, I was able to latch onto the communities that I am still a part of today early on.
Thank you to the BC Historical Society and the History department. The classes that I’ve taken and professors I’ve learned under have been some of the most inspirational individuals and pillars of influence for me. They have taught me to become a stronger reader, a stronger writer, and a stronger conversationalist. The BCHS was one of the first communities I had joined, and four years later, I am proud to have seen it flourish. Thank you for taking me in as I am, always.
The Vanguard is not the only editorial experience I have had the privilege of being a part of. Adjacent to the BCHS, I was able to spend two years as editor for the annual Clio journal. Thank you to my Clio editing team for your constant stream of support, and for holding me accountable to grow better each year. This work would not be possible without each and every one of you.
Thank you to my professors and peers in the Education department. Your insight and passion for education is what has driven me to continue in the field, and you embody what it means to be an educator and change students’ lives. This profession is an important one, and educators like you remind me of it everyday.
Perhaps my most bittersweet farewell is to the Classics department and the BC Classical Society. I fear that putting it into writing will enforce this reality further than I’d like to. The first course I ever stepped a (virtual) foot in was a Classics course, and since then, I have never felt more entrenched in a field of study. It is safe to say that this department truly changed the course of my undergraduate education, and quite frankly, my life. Thank you for what you do for your students, and not ever forgetting that the students are part of the whole point. It is with great pride that I get to say I studied Classics under some of the best.
The BCCS was a labor of love, and wouldn’t be possible without the amazing students who stepped up to create it, and those who are continuing on its legacy. You are all instrumental in the making of a community on this campus. Thank you.
It was no surprise to me, coming into the Vanguard, that I would be pouring endless hours into every issue. What I had not expected was the community that would envelop me almost immediately. None of this would be possible without the phenomenal members of our team.
Thank you to MJ Robinson, who I owe everything and more to for your guidance this semester. I am grateful for every impromptu meeting and every email response. Your support of the Vanguard makes a difference to all of us, and I cannot imagine anyone more perfect for the role.
Thank you to Mia Vialva and Jessica Bradley at Central Depository for all of the help with our finances, and being a lending hand in why the Vanguard flourishes. And thank you to Jason, for not only working on our finances each semester, but also being a bright light for our team and always willing to help. Thank you to Catherine Freeland for always getting us comments from admin and for your help with the Vanguard this semester.
Thank you to Serin, Kate, and Gabriela. You guys are truly rockstars. Working with you has been one of the greatest privileges of my college experience, and you have only ever pushed me to become an even better version of my journalistic-self with the utmost kindness. Your support never goes unnoticed, and the mark you have left on my life is undeniably significant. Even past your time at the Vanguard, your advice has been crucial. You are not just pillars of journalism, but makers of history, and inspirations to everyone on the team. Beyond this, your kindness and humility has inspired me to not only become a better writer, but a better human being.
Thank you, Rami. It has been the greatest pleasure to work side-by-side with you as managing editor (and fellow educator). The spirit and positivity that you bring to this team cannot be replaced or recreated. You have been a rock for me, and I know that the Vanguard will flourish, not only because of how you value the craft, but how you value the people around you. I can safely say the highlights of our meetings are accentuated with simply your presence, as you make everyone around you feel so loved and cared for. Thank you for everything.
Thank you, Jaida. You are an immovable force, and the ways in which you have stepped up for the team have impressed me in ways words cannot capture. I know that you are the perfect fit for managing editor, and I cannot wait to see how the Vanguard grows under you.
Thank you to Amira and Tony. Every week, you astonish me with how you manage to take our dull Google Docs and transform them into our weekly issue. You both have brought an award-winning creativity to our issues. You are both truly irreplaceable.
Thank you to T’Neil, Manny, Victoria, Ezae, Serena, Key, Khalailah, Luis, and Yassir for all of the work you have done for each of your respective sections. You have taught me so much through your insightful work, and it has been the greatest pleasure to see each of you grow and push me to grow throughout your time here. I think it’s safe to say that y’all comprise the best team ever. I’m going to miss our weekly check-ins and conversations more than you know.
Thank you to Emily N., Emily S., Bert, Allen, Yuki, Margot, T., Darlene, T Dog, Angelina, Eden, Kira, Alfonso, Patrick, Nicole, Chavely, and Devon. Each and every one of you has exhibited a passion and a drive for the Vanguard that I am so grateful to have been able to witness. Each and every one of you has been instrumental in what we’ve accomplished this semester, and I wish we had more time to spend together; it saddens me to know I won’t be around to see how you grow within the Vanguard. Thank you for trusting me with your words, and thank you for all that you continue to do. The Vanguard has become better because you have been a part of it.
I know that I leave the Vanguard in good hands. I have watched as this team supported one another, braved through times of uncertainty on this campus, and stood by one another no matter the case.
Since I joined the team as a sophomore yearning for a community, I now close the chapter. It has been my utmost privilege to know that I contributed to making history here at the Vanguard. To know that, just as I flipped through dusty pages of BC newspapers from days long past, a student fifty years from now will flip through the pages of the Vanguard, and the past will, once again, live on.
The Vanguard Lives!
Sincerely,
Paulina Gajewski