You probably have no idea who I am, and that’s perfect! Either way, you know of the Simpsonian, or, at least I hope you do, you are reading it. For the past year, I have been leading the charge to cover Simpson College news with my team of editors and staff. While it hasn’t been easy—in fact, it’s been extremely difficult—I will be forever grateful for the stories I’ve been able to tell and the people I’ve been able to meet.
In our final edition, we reflect on our time at Simpson as we face the quickly approaching “real world” we all dread. While none of us is truly ready, least of all I, we can’t stay safe at Simpson forever (maybe some sixth years would disagree). I will forever be grateful for the lessons Simpson has taught me, most of them outside of a classroom. I’ve learned how to be a leader, how to deal with people and most of all, who I am.
For this, I have to give credit to the Simpsonian and student media as a whole. The professors, Brian Steffen, Mark Siebert and Lisa Carponelli, have been integral in building my personality and confidence. Even when I doubt my skills or experience, they lift me up and push me to try anyway. I mean, I never thought I would be editor-in-chief, but they believed in me.
On top of amazing and caring professors, I’ve been blessed to meet some amazing peers. Kyle Werner, though he terrorizes me to this day, pushed me to become a better writer and reach for higher goals. He also became such a good friend and ally during my time at Simpson. Clare Veren, a former sister who became my friend post-sorority life, has become a confidant and someone I can truly rely on when in need. Raegan Pritchard, this smiley commuter with an extreme will to help others, snuck up on me fall semester and grew to be a kind face around campus. Anna Schewe, someone I knew from my one semester of choir, became a sister, despite being from another house (#panhellenic). Hannah Rosenfeld, already a sister, became an integral part of my time at Simpson, specifically when traveling the world.
Finally, Abby Hintz. There are no words to describe how much Abby has done for me and the Simpsonian. She is the main cog in the student media wheel; from taking photos, writing and laying out the Simp and being editor-in-chief of ID Magazine, her fingerprints are truly on every piece of student media. She has been my second in command this year, probably making more decisions on the Simp than I did. I truly don’t know how student media will operate without her because I definitely couldn’t.
If you can’t tell by now, I don’t enjoy talking about myself, so I’ll close with some warnings for the future to avoid getting sappy. Journalism is under attack. From local to student to national, we are facing extreme hatred and challenges at all levels. On a national level, we are seeing credible news organizations being punished for telling the truth and following journalistic values. On a local level, news organizations are shutting down at alarming rates due to a lack of support and creating news deserts across the country. On a student level, we are facing a lack of care. This year specifically, we’ve struggled to get our own staff members to complete stories without using AI or simply making something up.
Now, you might be asking, why does this matter? Well, as Brian Steffen would tell you, news provides the facts and information that affect your daily life. When there is a lack of information, misinformation runs rampant and can create extreme effects that damage our society.
How can you help? Support local journalism. The Independent Advocate (shameless plug) covers Indianola and Warren County news to help you be informed on everything happening in the community. Support student journalism. The Simpsonian is always in need of more help, so consider picking up a pen. Finally, don’t be silent or complacent. Speak up for what you believe in, and always fact-check your information.
While I’ve never been good at being concise, much to Abby’s dismay, I will end with this. Thank you. To all of you who read more than the horoscopes, thank you for supporting us and showing your care. I will be forever grateful for all that student media and Simpson as a whole have given me.
“We don’t go into journalism to be popular. It is our job to seek the truth and put constant pressure on our leaders until we get answers.” – Helen Thomas