Letters from the Editors

ED. 10 FALL 2022 - SPRING 2023

ROLLINS COLLEGE STUDENT MEDIA

ATTEN: THE INDEPENDENT

1000 HOLT AVENUE, WINTER PARK, FL 32789 THEINDEPENDENT@ROLLINS.EDU

Staff

Hi everyone,

After these difficult and rewarding past couple of semesters as Editor-in-Chief, I am thrilled to finally be writing this letter. It marks the end of production for Edition 10 of The Independent, a Fall 2022-Spring 2023 joint issue. I am so excited for it to be in your hands.

The decision to combine issues was made primarily due to hurricane-related delays in the fall and understaffing in both semesters. It also followed discussions about ways to reduce costs for The Indie, since the Student Media department has undergone serious budget cuts in recent years.

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

TAYLOR INGRASSIA

CHIEF CREATIVE OFFICER

CHARLIZE ASMAR

CO-FOUNDERS

MARY CATHERINE PFLUG

SCOTT NOVAK

DESIGNERS/ARTISTS

SAXON ANDERSON EM NGUYEN

ARIELLE JUNCA PEYTON POITRAS

JEANIE LIANG HARPER WHITE

SENIOR EDITORS

AQSA HASAN

ALEKHYA REDDY

MARY RUST

COPY EDITORS

JOHN ALLEN ELLIS COFFELT

SARAH BRADLEY EMMY SHOUSE

JOSH CAMUT DANIELLE SPARROW

CONTRIBUTORS

ADRIANNA AROSEMANA MARIA PADILLA

HANNAH ROSE BRIDGES ROBERT RANDS

EMILY DOGBATSE CARLY RICHARDS

LIAM TAYLOR KING ROWYN SAM

ALEXANDER KNOBLOCH FATIMA SANI

ALEC KRIEGBAUM SOPHIA WATSON

BRENDAN MANNING HARPER WHITE

RILEY MORTON JACKSON WILLIS

SARAH OGDEN

Cover featuring photography by Alexander Knobloch

Please send all le ers to the editor submissions and articles to theindependent@rollins.edu

Fonts in use: Abel, Agency FB, Air Condensed, Always Forever, Bahnschri , Bell MT, Centennial LT Std, Chalkduster, Chamonman, Corbel, Couture, Directors Gothic, Freestyle Script, Lucida Sans, Magneta, Minion Pro, MISTRAL, OCR-A Extended, Odaiba Script DEMO, Palatino Linotype, Segoe UI, Webdings

So ware in use: Adobe Indesign, Adobe Photoshop e Independent is distributed ee of charge to all members of the Rollins College community. e Independent will not print anything that is deemed libelous, obscene or in poor taste. Rights are reserved to postpone, edit or withhold om publication anything submi ed which does not meet the speci cations. e meaning of any submission will not be altered, but we reserve the right to correct spelling, grammar and punctuation when necessary. e editors and adviser will make the nal decision on all material appearing in e Independent. e opinions stated in this publication do not necessarily re ect those of e Independent, its sta advertisers, or Rollins College.

Logo design by Mary Catherine P ug.

I believe Edition 10 is stronger despite — and because of — the delay. Throughout the publication process, I have been continually awed by the talent, patience, and dedication of our staff. This issue also holds an exceptional array of art from our campus community. Although they came from two different rounds of submissions, the pieces coexist in remarkable thematic unity, embodying the values cultivated by The Indie over the past near-decade.

Especially in times of increasing uncertainty and division, it is important to create and spread art that people need to see. If The Independent can be one venue through which you can do so, we have succeeded. I am endlessly grateful to our contributors for sharing their work, to our staff for making its publication possible, and to you for reading.

Thank you also to our new Chief Creative Officer, Charlize Asmar! She is a wonderful person, a talented designer, and a strong, capable leader. I could not have asked for a better partner in navigating these past couple of semesters. If you know Charlize, congratulate her and wish her well — she deserves it!

Taylor Ingrassia Editor-in-Chief Hello,

My name is Charlize Asmar, and I am in the class of 2026. This year, I was so excited to serve as the Chief Creative Officer of The Independent.

During my senior year of high school, I was elected as the head editor of my yearbook. This job exposed me to numerous experiences with leadership, design, and writing.

As soon as I was admitted to Rollins, I knew that I was in the midst of numerous opportunities that would involve my passion for design. As the Chief Creative Officer, I was able to use my previous experiences to design this magazine. Not only did I learn so much from this experience, but I also had fun along the way!

I am so thankful for our phenomenal design staff who provided us with such beautiful pieces. I would also like to give a huge thank you to Taylor, our Editor-in-Chief, for training me and helping me through it all! It was an honor to be the Chief Creative Officer, and I can’t wait for many years to come!

Charlize Asmar Chief Creative Officer