By Emmad Kashmiri
Hello everyone, it’s that time of the semester again. I didn’t expect it would be my turn for a farewell this quickly.
When I got accepted by Brooklyn College in 2020, I was introduced to a Discord server where I made a bunch of friends, most of whom also enrolled mid-quarantine, as well as a couple of people who were about to graduate that same year. My chapter with The Vanguard began around early August of 2021, when a recent graduate (who I still have yet to meet lol, shoutout to you, PokeLegoCuber), who has helped me out before, messaged me asking if I would be interested in working for the school newspaper since they’re looking for someone with some kind of tech experience.
I was a bit hesitant at first, thinking that it would be a lot of work and I couldn’t balance it with my school and personal life, but he encouraged me to try it out, and that’s when I decided to take the leap of faith. I then contacted Gabriela Flores, the editor-in-chief, and we scheduled a meeting. I remember being nervous about the events leading up to the Zoom call, but when it took place, I was locked in. I was interviewed by the managing editor, John Schilling, as well as Gaby. They didn’t know what to ask of me, but they expressed how they were in urgent need of a digital editor. They offered to train me and show me how to do my job, and I managed to pick it up quickly.
After the first few issues, it became second nature to upload everything, and it wasn’t until spring 2022, during The Vanguard’s end-of-semester celebration, that I found out about The Vanguard room, and I met John, Gaby, Ian Ezinga, and Kaylin Guzman in person for the first time. We talked about Marvel and my trip to Europe that I was going on about a week from that day.
In fall 2022, Gaby was the new editor-in-chief, with Michela being the new managing editor. In the spring semester, I started becoming more involved in The Vanguard by coming to the room more. That was also the same semester where I spent more time chatting with Gaby and becoming more in tune with The Vanguard (and being nicknamed the future Casey Neistat). One of the more unexpected moments happened in the fall 2022 semester, shortly after I came back from Japan and Turkey, where I was invited onto the Vanguardian Voices podcast. I never thought I’d ever be in a podcast, so being in one was a very unique experience for me.
To Serin and Michela, it was a pleasure working with you both, and your time and contributions to The Vanguard will always be remembered! Thank you both so much for everything you’ve done!
The most interesting semester by far would be spring 2024. It was by far the semester where I was the most involved with The Vanguard. I wrote two articles by myself and co-wrote two more articles with Kate Dempsey, the current editor-in-chief. I came to many meetings, and we would go put issues and hang posters all around campus together while chatting about anything. This semester, however, has been more light. I’ve been working both on campus and off campus, and uploading articles too, but I’ve always tried to make time to come over and see old friends and make new ones.
To MJ Robinson and Eleana Donaldson, it was a pleasure meeting and working with you. I’d like to thank you both for all of the opportunities that you presented me with. I am very grateful for them.
Overall, my time in The Vanguard was a pleasant one. The Vanguard room has become a haven for me whenever I wanted to relax, wanted to study, or if the library was too noisy or far. I’ve grown attached to that room, as that’s where I made lots of new memories, got to know some of the people I’ve worked with, had some crazy banter as well as lore drops, and got a lot of my work done. Special shoutouts to John Schilling and Gabriela Flores for being the reason that I’m even able to write this, Kate Dempsey, for all the work we’ve done together and introducing me to the world of chess (you’ve created a monster), and Chad Henry and Damien Now for motivating me to stay when I wanted to retire from The Vanguard in the fall 2023 semester.
I’ve proudly been part of The Vanguard for seven semesters, making me the longest-standing member in its history. From my very first day to the last, I’ve watched it evolve from a temporarily digital-only newsletter to what it is now: a digital newsletter, a physical newspaper once again, a podcast, a thriving community–so popular that meetings now attract more attendees than there are available seats–and so much more.
To those of you who are looking to put themselves out there, I’d advise you to check out the various places and clubs on campus. We have the Student Center, the club rooms in the Web building, and regular events where you can meet so many new people. On that note, I guess my final wisdom to you all is this: never underestimate the power of saying yes to new opportunities, as it is often those same unexpected moments, connections, and challenges that shape your journey and leave the biggest impact.
To the next gen of the Vanguardians, I wish you all well, and I want you all to know that you have my unwavering support. I guess it’s time to sign out one last time. Take care 🙂