Letter from the Editor

Dear Readers of The Herald,

We are right at the halfway point of our Spring 2022 semester, celebrating Hobart’s 200th anniversary while nearing the end of our school year––and closing in on the final days at HWS for many students like myself. It has been a long haul to get to this moment; throughout semesters of “uncertainty” and “unprecedented times,” we finally see one another’s smiling faces walking through the library or during a fleeting moment in a stairwell. We have made it through the most brutal parts of winter and of isolation, but not without scars and sacrifices made during the process. And that does not mean we are fully healed nor past making those sacrifices, but it does mean we can feel proud of what we have already overcome as a community.

Of course, we still have to survive the relentless struggle of balancing work and social life to push through finals and the most grueling of assignments, and I hope everyone has enough left in them to put their hearts into what they’re doing. I don’t think I would survive if I didn’t. As the year has gone on, I’ve been grateful to watch this first-year class grow into themselves as they arrived here unsure of what college life would bring in these difficult times. I’ve seen renewed resiliency and determination in them that inspires the classes above them, as they strive for equity and to make names for themselves here and into the future. I’ve seen collaboration and unity to hold institutions and systems accountable and continue a discourse of change, empowerment, and support for those who need it most.

Most of all, I’ve seen renewed spirit on this campus. From HWS Theatre productions to lively participation at student government, to the ever-present pride for our athletics, and of course I have to acknowledge the Writing Colleagues who are always ready on those yellow couches to support all of our writers. I can truly say that the HWS campus feels like a community again as Zoom collects dust on my computer and classes feel as engaging as they should be with a present student body to cultivate that. Alongside this renewed life, HWS has seen capable students rise up to challenge injustice and inequity locally and internationally, with voices that continue to grow louder and stronger. And we need those voices to support one another as well as the horrors faced by Ukrainians throughout an unjust, propaganda-filled war fueled by greed and power. Graduating seniors will hold onto that voice of a community that they may leave behind, but will remain a part of them nonetheless. In my final months at HWS, I cannot wait to see the mark my senior class will leave on this campus, but most importantly, what mark the energized classes below us will imprint on us. I am grateful for that spirit, the faculty, and the faces who ensure that the 2021-2022 school year will mean something for those who witnessed it and those who made it come to life. Good luck to everyone as we power through midterms and shift from the bitter cold to the tolerable rain and wind that will hopefully bring warmth come springtime.

I leave readers with this: We at the Herald stand in solidarity with Ukraine and all victims of unjust wars. We must remember that Ukraine is not alone in this experience––we must acknowledge the ongoing genocides and wars in Lebanon, China, and throughout countries often forgotten amidst the slurry of media we consume daily. The Herald remains a voice for the students throughout this time, only able to do so because of the powerful voices at HWS.

Sincerely, Ani Freedman Editor-in-Chief 15