As the community made its hopeful, masked return to something like normal last spring, we, the 115th masthead of The Choate News, began our tenure. Only four of our editors had ever experienced in person Editors’ Meetings, so as we crammed into the newsroom at the beginning of this year, we began to question the value of “normal.” After a global pandemic, the ongoing Black Lives Matter movement, and a shared exhaustion among the student body, why were we spending our Tuesday nights in a musty newsroom, toiling over headlines? What was the value of print newspapers after dissemination of information (and misinformation) had shifted to tweets, TikToks, and fiery online headlines?
But, as the speed of public consciousness and conversations picks up, we believe print journalism serves a critical role in checking the pace of thought, acknowledging nuance and grounding discourse in fact. Whether you’ve read our Features investigation on gender disparities in the HPRSS department, drawn inspiration from our Arts fashion photo spread, or laughed over a Local News comic, we hope that The Choate News has served as a means for empowering and connecting the community.
And now, as students push for change in their own right — through Wellness Committee initiatives, Student Council proposals, DEI Task Force initiatives, or even student protests on Hill House steps—as student journalists, we hope The Choate News has and will continue to serve as a catalyst for change on campus, a kind of anonymous pillar of radical civility among the tides of student movements and activism. Although our writers’ names are printed on the tops of articles, and our biases inevitably seep into our storytelling, the practice of seeking truth beyond just individual experiences but for the whole of the community remains the forefront of our focus, so that you, our readers, are empowered and informed to make change.
While we acknowledge that this experience came with its own challenges — an ongoing pandemic, earning readers’ trust, improving diversity within the newsroom and on the page — we are so grateful for this opportunity to serve the community, to write a draft history of these nine months, and to pass the pen to the 116th masthead, who we know will continue the conversation with integrity and love for this community.
