Haunted Houghton

Dear Readers of the Herald,

Well done to all for nearly finishing fall semester!

I know it has certainly been a turbulent one, but one that has yet again showcased this community’s resiliency and drive to get back to engaging meaningfully with others and all of our passions. In just the past couple of months, we have been able to connect with professors and see the incredible projects and research they have finished or continue to work on. We have watched sports and the arts come back to life and bring us together to celebrate the triumphs of our athletes, artists, and performers. We have seen clubs new and old bring us together to shed light on mental health awareness, encourage us to try rock climbing, insight mindfulness, creatively fundraise for charity or simply get a meaningful conversation started. Effectively, we have seen HWS come back to life.

The past two years have undoubtedly been filled with loss, but it is the months and years to come that will give us the chance to reclaim some of that, a reclamation which has most definitely already occurred here. It has not been easy to get to this point, but the fact of the matter is: we have. As a senior, I’ve witnessed amazing club events, research, exhibitions, and sports go on here––but I’ve also witnessed those things taken away from the impassioned hands that made them all possible.

And now I’ve been able to witness what it looks like when new life and opportunity are put back into those hands and the power that comes with that. The new life given to this campus is owed to everyone on it, and I can tell that this first-year class has brought that fire with them too as they empower us all with their strength and determination.

Amongst all of this hope, we are now moving deep into autumn, when the vibrant leaves cascading down Hale Hall make us forget that it’s a dorm and the trees lining the walkway to around the Quad make us feel like we’re in an idyllic, cliché college scene. As the wind gets colder and sharper, beginning to cut into our faces and lungs, I am hopeful that the power of this community will keep the looming coldness at bay. And I’m eager for what other new life will be brought to HWS.

With this being our final print issue of the fall semester, I would like to thank everyone on the Herald team for the work and commitment that they put forth these past couple of months. Most notably, I would be remiss if I did not acknowledge the efforts of our editorial board: Design Editor Paul Janes, Copy Editor Morgan Murphy, Operations Manager Hrithik Biswas, and finally our faculty advisor Charlie Wilson. These individuals have put in a great deal of work into making this newspaper successful as we continue its legacy.

Thank you all for a great semester, and I am looking forward to seeing everything else that HWS’ community is capable of achieving.

Sincerely,

Ani Freedman