That’s right, you’re finally getting rid of me. Bring out the confetti, light the fireworks, bye-bye Miss American pie. In all seriousness, I am graduating and, with that, comes a long-awaited goodbye to The Hoot and its readers. For those of you who don’t know me, sorry you won’t get the chance, I’m graduating … but, I guess I can fill you in a little about what I did around here. I began working on The Hoot the second semester of my sophomore year as a copy editor, then deputy copy editor, before becoming Copy editor (yes, these positions do have the same name, inconveniently, but the last one is head of the section if you’re following along at home). At the end of junior year, after I started leaning towards administrative pursuits like making The Hoot a shared Google Drive instead of all of us logging into one email … I decided to try my hand at becoming the Editor-in-Chief. I did have big plans for the paper and was excited to take up the mantle and prove myself; however, things did not go smoothly, to say the least. We began the year with roughly three to four committed editors, including myself. I had spent the whole summer learning how to redesign the website, planning new changes to our production process to make it more accessible and less time-consuming, and preparing templates for my ultimate goal of transforming our regular newspaper into a magazine. By the end of the summer, I had no idea if all of that work would go to waste. Recruitment did go extremely well upon returning in the fall, thank goodness, and since then, we have truly established ourselves as a publication on this campus. I am so grateful to everyone who reads this paper, and it brings me so much joy to see papers missing from pick-up areas and sprawled around campus. The Hoot still has a small production staff, but I think that is part of what makes it special. I have many people to thank, including staff, e-board, family, and friends. Without that support system, I would not have been able to pursue such lofty goals, the emotional challenges, and all the high-highs and low-lows that come with running a magazine.
Now, there are a few apologies I have to make/would like to get out of the way … so, maybe the Student Union isn’t so bad after all … In my defense, sometimes it requires making waves for something to wash ashore! I was a member of the Student Union during my freshman and sophomore years and, let’s just say, that didn’t end well. Also, I didn’t know about only half of The Hoot’s budget being used in the prior year, either, and how much previous leadership’s decisions affect the present, but also how the past doesn’t always dictate our present either (we actually didn’t get our funding slashed at all for fall 2026 and even got $23 more! Again, maybe the article helped, maybe it was my “spend it all” plan, who can really say … ).
I wish I had gotten a chance to speak to someone about my plans for the growth of this paper during Marathon somehow. I know that would be totally unrealistic, but when all you have is the club leader before you who can only tell you as much as they remember or have time to tell you, it can be really tough to take up the mantle. I’m sure some of you club leaders reading this can relate. There was so much I had to learn on my own, just as the editors before me did, but that is a tradition I have tried to change with the new leadership moving forward. I know my ignorance may not be a satisfactory excuse for my mistakes, and I understand I have taken some big swings in some of the editorial articles I’ve participated in. However, I hope there is some solace in knowing that I acted in good faith, with the information I had, and tried to follow my sense of right and wrong in any and all things. I may not have always been right in my methods, but I always acted with integrity and for the sake of the people and publication I care about. Although The Hoot did not get secured this year due to our own internal issues affecting our capacity to complete the process, I still believe that we will earn that title in the years to come.
In this brief apology tour, I would also like to take this opportunity to talk about The Justice. Many people may not know this, but I actually worked on The Justice for roughly a year and a half before moving to The Hoot. There have been some stones thrown from both sides since I first got into this college newspaper world back in freshman year, but I want to say that since becoming EIC at The Hoot, I hope it is clear to everyone that this is a friendly competition. Frankly, I think the need for us to differentiate ourselves pushed The Hoot to be better. I mean, that’s where my idea to make this a magazine really began. As to why I switched to The Hoot two years ago, as I alluded to in the last paragraph, I think organizations are highly characterized by those in charge, and The Justice is probably a very different place than when I worked there. I’m trying to extend the olive branch for future generations here, so that’s all I will say about that.
So, now that I’ve established that I am a mature adult with mature adult feelings and reasoning, let’s throw that all out the window. What I mean is, let me tell you about what allowed me to get this far—raising hell. Ok, in all seriousness, I really want to instill the value of advocating for yourself here. Dealing with people can be really challenging, and every time I think I’ve learned that lesson, I find myself surprised all over again. I’ve spent so much of my life listening to people tell me how much smarter they are, how their opinions are more important than mine, how much more valuable their time is, that a woman should be seen not heard, that things will get done eventually, that I shouldn’t fight unfairness because life is unfair—I’m so exhausted just thinking about it. I don’t know if I’m just a magnet for everything and everyone that makes the world a worse place in which to exist, or if our social culture today just loves to create the illusion of hierarchy in every interaction I am ever in, where somehow I’m on the bottom rung, but I can’t stand it. Now I’m not saying we should pick a fight with all the people that scorn us (even if the list is ever growing … ), but I do think we should know our worth and see ourselves in the highest regard. If you put in the work, are open to criticism, and approach others with decorum and respect, you should feel confident in any space you may enter.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m a very cordial person, for the most part. I enjoy sharing ideas with others, working together, having friendly debates, being proven wrong, and learning something new. I carry a certain level of reasonable doubt that anything and everything could be entirely different from what I have come to believe, and, in some ways, it excites me. There is so much we can learn about ourselves and the world from discourse with other people, and I am inspired every day by hearing their stories. In my actions, I try to make my small sphere of influence a space that encourages all the best values in those around me and where people can feel secure, knowing there is someone willing to speak up in their defense. Hearing about all the unique intricacies of other people’s lives and the things they care about really makes me want to step up to the plate and turn my ideas into reality each day. After all, fun fact: Do you know that I was the person who first had the idea to change The Hoot into a magazine (James liked the idea but didn’t think we could do it right away! Sorry to throw you under the bus, James, but consider this your last bit of Editor-in-Chief training hehe). Sorry to bring it up again; I’m just really proud of it, how much work we have all put towards it, and how some random idea I had one day actually came to life. Publishing is pretty cool that way; there’s something tangible you get to pour your heart into and put out into the world, and I hope you all have been enjoying the new format as much as we have!
All that being said, here’s what I’ve learned. Any individual has the power to create the change they want to see in the world, as long as they take the opportunity to grasp it with everything they have. Whether it was at The Student Union, The Justice, The Hoot, or Brandeis itself, I came to learn over time that things change as people change. Truly, nothing lasts forever, and sometimes, that’s a good thing. People today are so averse to change and confrontation, especially when it comes to facing the unknown and the potential that things don’t go to plan. When I became EIC of The Hoot, morale was low, a significant portion of staff chose to leave before the year started, and I was told that I was expected to be the publication’s last editor. There were moments where I considered giving up; I wasn’t sure if I could face the unknown with a new, unexpected normal. My friends would tell you that, of course, in true Jenna fashion, with all the odds stacked against me, it made me want to prove everyone wrong—and I think we did.
I always tell the staff at production night that we can’t be afraid to try new things (layouts, Oxford commas, etc.) or deny ideas simply on the basis of liking the original format better. We can’t be afraid to step out of our comfort zone. To be honest, this is a lesson I am still learning. I was so caught up in anxiety when the year began, not knowing if our small staff size could manage the enormous amount of work that comes with running a publication. However, I’ve grown a lot since then, making great friends who supported me and embracing all of the unknowns and uncertainties running a publication has to offer. I think we all have that one thing, that seemingly impossible mountain that we are trying to climb, about some limitation or another in our lives. My secret to dealing with my anxieties: just keep moving forward.
My aspirations and advice for The Hoot going forward are very simple—never forget who you are doing this for and approach everything with kindness. The Hoot is not a “community newspaper” in name only; our goal is to be a space where our community feels represented in all its creative and unconventional ways. If you are looking for a place of acceptance where you can create with like-minded peers and provide necessary access to information, resources, and the occasional entertainment to your community, The Hoot should be the first place that comes to mind.
We’ve reached the conclusion. Usually, this is the part of the article where you summarize your thoughts and try to instill a message in the reader, but I think I’ve done enough of that at this point, and I believe in freedom of interpretation. So here’s some advice for the road: Hold your head up high and look around, because you never know what story is waiting to be told just around the corner.
