By Kate Dempsey
It’s the end of an era. Being your editor-in-chief has been one of my life’s greatest honors, and it is difficult to say goodbye to such an incredible newspaper and team.
I remember my first inquiry to the newspaper–sending a pitch to the newspaper’s Gmail hoping to have my article about the Uyghur genocide awareness event at school published. I was nervous, having never written for the paper before, whilst choosing a rather dark–but nonetheless important–first topic to cover. I wouldn’t be in the position that I’m in were it not for Gabriela Flores seeing the potential in me. I’ll never forget meeting you and seeing what an amazing leader you were immediately (and the fact that I called you Ms. Flores!). Your guidance and reassurance were critical to becoming the leader that I am today. I look so highly up to you, and when I took this role I knew I had to honor all that you have done for the paper.
To Michela Arlia and Samia Afsar: you guys made me feel so welcomed when I first joined, I’ll never forget your kindness. You both are so talented, and I can’t wait to see what you do next because you both have already done incredible things.
Serin Sarsour: my best friend, my partner-in-crime. I am forever grateful for your help and the partnership we had running the paper in fall 2023. I look up to you so much because you are one of the strongest people I have ever met. I’m so happy this paper brought us together, and I’ll forever cherish our coffee runs and pond talks so much. Keep being the beautiful soul that you are, and I can’t wait for all the fun laughs we’ll have in the future together.
Paulina Gajewski: you have been the most extraordinary managing editor for the newspaper, going above and beyond for everyone for which you are so greatly appreciated. I couldn’t have asked for a better managing editor: you’re kind, funny, supportive, and all around a great human being. You are going to absolutely kill it when you become editor-in-chief, and I can’t wait to see what you will do after me.
Rami Mansi: my cheerleader, you have been such a critical support system for me I cannot thank you enough. I’ll miss our impromptu therapy talks and I cherish the fun times we had outside of the newspaper (looking at you Queer Prom!) with many more to be had. I know you will be a great managing editor because you are a natural leader and bring so much to the team.
There are so many more I’d like to thank. Oscar Docavo: thank you for your support, you are a super talented writer and I know the future holds a lot for you. Tony Lipka: thank you for being so dedicated and receptive to our cover ideas–you absolutely kill it! Kaylin Guzman: thank you for coming back to the team! I absolutely loved the layout work you did for us. Quiara Vasquez: thank you for your support and for all The Vanguard lore! This paper would quite literally not exist were it not for you, so thank you greatly for establishing us and your leadership getting us off the ground. Brie Underwood: thank you for supporting us long after leaving! Shlomie Katash and Daniel Afanasyev: could not have asked for better news editors during my EIC leadership–you both are so talented. Jaida Dent: you are such a dedicated and skilled writer, going above and beyond for your pieces. I can’t wait to see what you’ll do next! Amira Turner: your artistic ability is phenomenal and you are also an incredible writer, you can truly do it all! Thank you for becoming our arts editor and then layout editor. Sean Markisic and Manny Polanco: thank you both for your sports coverage (the section I know the least about!). You were both a huge help covering the teams and helping me to understand terminology. Jason Lin: thank you for your dedication and your help! You bring such a liveliness to the team, and your work is truly appreciated to help us accomplish so many fun things. Yassir Azzam: thank you for all of your hard work with the podcast! You have gone above and beyond for it, and it wouldn’t be the incredible podcast it were today had you not taken the lead. Emmad Kashmiri: thank you for all of your digital work, especially with trying to revamp the website. I’m happy we were able to configure more of it to improve the layout of the pages. Nitu Farhin: thank you for the comics! Excited to see what you accomplish in all of your leadership roles. To our content creators Mars Marte, Serena Edwards, Khalailah Bynoe, Key Jones-Ford, Nidhi Mahadevan: thank you all for the lively spirit and work you bring to the team.
Noam Abrahams, Dylan Karlowski, Aharon Grama, Huda Ayaz, Iqura Naheed, and Carrie Ebbin: thank you all so much for your help and contributions–I greatly appreciated the support when it came to covering all things BC. Robert Echevarria: thank you for all of the insight you have provided me, you are so knowledgeable about all things BC! To Nikole Rajgor, Rhiannon Rashidi, Maya Demchak-Gottlieb, and Alexandra Cortese: it was an honor to be a part of such a historic moment when we did the shoot, and I look up to all of you so much. Keep up the awe-inspiring work!
Thank you to Hanan Yafai and Bhone “Henry” Kyaw for allowing me into your lives and capturing what you have endured. Your articles are some of the greatest works I have ever written, and it was truly an honor that we got to share some of your story with the world.
Thank you to Paula Chewy and Anastasia Johnson for your help with coverage and for taking the time to help me with the study abroad to South Korea program. You guys inspired me so much to do it, and I thank you greatly for all of your advice which led to me getting accepted.
Thank you to Sofia Maryiamis for all your help and for easily the funnest DJ gig I had on campus at the Pumpkin Smash! To TS Richards, thank you for all of your help at WBCR. You are such an incredible DJ, and I cannot wait to see where your talents take you next.
Thank you to our office neighbors over at the Immigrant Student Success Office for all their support. Shoutout to the Sustainability Club, the Bangladeshi Student Association, Bridges for Yemen, NYPIRG, the Women’s Center, the LGBTQ+ Resource Center, the Korean Culture Club, University Student Senate, African Student Union, Muslims Giving Back, and so many more. Thank you to Mia Vialva and Jessica Bradley at Central Depository for helping get The Vanguard what it needs and being a critical support system, and to Ludovic Leroy for helping our paper with comments from admin. Thank you to professor Melissa Dipento for your support during such a difficult time in writing for the paper, and to professor Marco Poggio as I would not even be here had you not suggested I submit my article to the paper. Thank you to the Vanguard Prize Committee and Myron Kandel for the Vanguard Prize 2024, to the New York Press Association for selecting my story as “Second Best” for 2023, and to my editors for trusting me to write our 100th issue celebration article.
Last, but certainly not least, thank you to MJ Robinson and Eleana Donaldson. Eleana: thank you so much for all of your help in supporting The Vanguard, it truly has meant a lot whenever you lended a hand. MJ: I cannot thank you enough for all the support and guidance you have given me throughout all these semesters. Through the highs and the lows you were there for me, and I don’t know what I would have done without you.
When I took this position, I promised that I would be a voice for the voiceless: amplifying marginalized communities who needed an outlet to be heard. I believe that through this newspaper I have done so with the help of my incredible team, and I know I will continue to fight for the rights of others. Thank you all so much for trusting me with my leadership–it has been a profound honor and privilege.
Vanguard Lives!
