I’m pretty sure freshman me would be pretty surprised to know I would be becoming Editor-in-Chief for my senior year. It’s not really something I imagined, expected, or aspired for. Well, here I am.

The best way to characterize The Pharcyde over my three-year tenure on it is with one word: shrinking. I’ve seen the class go from 14 people in my freshman year to nine in my sophomore year, and six for this year. 

My hope, as I’m sure is Doc’s, is to revitalize The Pharcyde. I know it’s going to be a challenge to bring excitement and intrigue to something that has become an afterthought to the majority of the student body, but it’s a challenge that I’m willing to take on. Simply, I hope to produce the best paper possible that can bring positive attention to the paper.

It was this past year that I truly took on a big role in the paper as this year’s Copy Editor. Reading over every article, headline, and caption– sometimes very late on Wednesday nights on Doc’s room with Tvisha and Sophia– wasn’t my favorite part of this past year, but it proved to be a challenge: a challenge that I was willing to take head-on, just like what will be faced next year.

I recognize that the class size for next year isn’t massively improved compared to the six this year, and it will be a lot of work to maintain this, but if there’s anything I learned from this year, it’s certainly possible. 

Before I truly begin my official tenure as Editor-in-Chief, I will be attending a summer program for journalism at Northwestern University and a conference hosted by Freedom Forum. Both of these programs will help me fine-tune my journalistic craft in a variety of ways prior to having a year where I need to be at my best. I’m excited about both of these opportunities because it should make next year’s class run smoother… or that’s the goal, at least.

I truly believe that The Pharcyde needs more attention, and I’m sure it’ll be tough to truly exemplify this idea to the majority of the student body. In fact, most probably wouldn’t get to this point and be reading this. Regardless, The Pharcyde– like many other clubs and societies here at Benjamin– has the potential to make a big change. It should be the voice of the students. If a student has a concern and would like to voice it to any member of the staff, please do. Editorials and op-eds exist for that exact purpose: to get the voice of the student body out to the community. We are just one of many avenues to guarantee your voice is heard. Use us.

Tvisha and Sophia, you two really showed me what it’s like to persevere. We, as a staff (and you two as Co-Editor-in-Chiefs especially), ran into a lot this year: angry teachers, late nights with Doc, the small class size, article censorship, you name it.

Regardless, you guys took these challenges on with no second thought, practically embracing them as what The Pharcyde has become. And that’s not a bad thing; not everything is perfect, and that’s something I’ve realized this year and will be important next year. I know I’ll run into issues, and seeing you guys deal with them has made me feel like I will be able to deal with them just a little bit better. 

As you guys depart for Tufts and USC, I hope you know that I really appreciate all the lessons that you two taught me throughout this year. The time that we stayed until 11:30 on a Wednesday night may be an indicator of what next year may look like, but firstly, at least we had each other for that, and secondly, I’ll be ready for that next year. I’m certainly eager to see where it goes. 

You guys set a high bar for me to meet next year, and I’ll do my best to continue creating a paper that meets those standards. I’m looking forward to this, as I feel like I’m ready to inherit the Editor-in-Chief position.