Senior Letters: Sophie Soloway ’23, Ali Meizels ’23 and Emma Watkins ’23

BY SOPHIE SOLOWAY ’23 EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

I wish I could remember what drew me to the Mount Holyoke News table at my first-year fall org fair. I was shy, wavering in my writing confidence and unsure of what to make of my new life on campus.

I’m so grateful to 18-year-old me and whatever whim brought me to MHN because within that week, I was following some story for the Global section, led by the fearless Casey Roepke, and quickly falling in love with the journalistic style that I’ve grown to associate with the culture and care of the MHN. My early experiences as a staff writer and section editor were profoundly shaped by Casey and the other folks who showed me how kind, collaborative and impactful student journalism can be.

I am so grateful to have carried

BY ALI MEIZELS ’23 PUBLISHER & PHOTOS EDITOR

I don’t really know where to start with describing what MHN means to me. For me, it always came down to the newsroom — the place where I fell in love for the first time, laughed more than I ever have in my life and cried countless times. The hundreds of hours I’ve spent in the newsroom have given me the relationships that have defined my college career, and I am eternally grateful for that.

I started at MHN as a staff photographer during my first semester, when I was only 17 years old. I was eager and enthusiastic and jumped right in, and that very first semester I became Photos Editor, a position that I held for seven more semesters.

I am so grateful for the hard work and trust of our staff photographers for four years, and I’m so excited to see Emma Quirk ’26 shine as Photos Editor next year.

In my two years as Publisher, I’ve learned a lot and conquered my fear of schedule-sending emails. I’ve become more confident, gotten really scared about money a few times, and have been humbled frequently

BY EMMA WATKINS ’23 MANAGING EDITOR OF CONTENT

Editor-in-Chief: these lessons into my year as Editor-in-Chief. Every day that I worked alongside our incredible staff, these teachings only grew.

My biggest thanks go to every staff member who has dropped by my office hours, pitched us innovative article ideas, picked up copy shifts when needed, created beautiful graphics or contributed to the magic of the MHN in some other way this year. The dedication you all give to this paper is so special. Our readers benefit from it every week, and I have grown tremendously because of it. As an E-Board, we marvel at this dedication every week. Thank you to Katie, Artemis, Michelle and Hannah for bringing your laughter and ideas to the newsroom every week. Thank you for your willingness to help me learn.

To my friends, who have tolerated my last-minute interview questions and groggy Friday breakfasts:

Sophie Soloway ’23

Soapy and Liv, thank you for all of the encouragement, coffee deliveries and horoscope section internship applications.

Thank you to Hannah for joining the Global section when we needed you and for sticking around as HR manager. Both MHN and I are infinitely better because of your presence. And to Madden and Carrie, horoscope writer extraordinaires and some of my very favorite people on this earth, thank you. Special thanks to Carrie for keeping us all company on publishing nights and for never letting my confidence waver when it comes to helping to lead MHN.

I can’t thank last year’s publishing team enough for all of their guidance and the strong foundation they left behind. Thank you to Declan for modeling such stellar MHN leadership and for convincing me to run for EIC after 3 years of swearing

I’d never even be on the E-Board. Thank you to Liz, Rose and Lenox for welcoming me into Thursday nights with open arms and only slight hazing. I rely on the lessons you all shared with me every day.

To my publishing team, I hope you already know how much our work together has meant to me. Lenox, Lydia, Jesse, Emma and Ali, thank you from the bottom of my heart for your patience, your jokes and for making my senior year so lovely. Lenox, Lydia and Jesse, I know the paper is in capable and hilarious hands as long as you’re around.

I have to give special thanks to my fellow seniors, co-conspirators and absolute gems of friends and peers, Ali and Emma. I began this year absolutely terrified to let you both down because I knew how hard you work to take care of this paper. I had no idea of the compassion and

Publisher: Ali Meizels ’23

by the real-world business of publishing, and I wouldn’t trade it for the world. For two years I’ve been the first person to see each issue of MHN, and when I unfold each paper for the first time, I always get emotional. So many people pour hours into this publication every week, and it’s been such a privilege to be trusted with that hard work. I have so many people to thank, and I’ll start with Lily Reavis ’21, who is one of the people I admire most in the world. I’m not sure I would have ended up here if not for Lily’s article on the front page of the MHN when I toured, which made me want to go somewhere where the student journalists were this brave and talented. Lily, I owe so much to your inspiration in my life. Thank you.

Thanks also to Casey Roepke ’21, Maddy Ritter ’20, Kate Turner ’21 and everyone else who made the newsroom feel like home when I was a terrified first year. I still look up to you all so much.

Katie Goss ’23, thank you for doing all the hard work on the business side of things. I think we made a great team! Rosemary Geib ’23, thank you for being a wonderful co-editor all these years.

To all my friends who have listened to me talk about news endlessly and supported me, thank you.

Anna Sophie Tinneny ’23, Riva Magistad ’23 and Maddi Grossman ’23, college would have been so boring without you. Thanks to my parents and grandparents who read MHN online each week.

Thank you to my first publishing team: Declan Langton ’22, for believing in me, pushing me, trusting me and encouraging me. Liz Lewis ’22, for your friendship, your inclusion, your generosity and your voice memos. Rose Sheehan ’22, for doing most of my work for me, for supporting me in so many ways, and for making me a desk — thank you for everything.

Lenox Johnson ’24, for making me feel cool by association and for your reassuring, hilarious presence. I loved sharing Baja blasts with all of you.

And to this year’s publishing team: Lydia Eno ’26, your presence has made Thursday nights infinitely more fun. I’m so glad I got the chance to know you. Jesse Hausknecht-Brown ’25, thank you for bringing much-needed laughter and silliness to the newsroom and taking hurdles in stride. You have made me cry from laughter more times than anyone else in my life, and I really don’t think I could have made it through this year without that. Carrie Lewis ’23, honorary publishing team member, thank you for hyping me up and reminding me not to take things too seriously.

Emma Watkins ’23, I’ve treasured our time together in the newsroom and out of it so much. I respect your integrity, your work ethic, and your compassion; thank you for being my friend, and for all the times you listened and really got it.

Sophie Soloway ’23, you are one of the most genuine people I’ve ever met. Working with you and knowing you has made me a better person. You’ve been a remarkable Editor In Chief and I am in awe of the way you have led the MHN. Emma and Sophie, while our friendships won’t end when we leave the newsroom, I’ll always be grateful for the time we spent together there. I’m so proud of both of you and all that we’ve made together.

To Liv Wilson ’24, you will make courage you’d show me every day that we’ve worked towards publication. Emma, you are fierce and funny and so dedicated to doing things at the highest quality possible. Ali, your work ethic inspires me and your company is absolutely unmatched. Thank you both for everything. a wonderful Publisher! I hope you enjoy the job as much as I have. To Mariam Keita ’24 and the rest of next year’s staff, I could not be more excited to see where you take the paper. I’ll always be cheering for you.

Our next E-Board clearly has huge shoes to fill, and I can’t wait to see you all fill them in strides. Liv, Tara, Jendayi, Ella, Diksha and Mari, I have so much confidence that you are going to do wonderful and important things with the MHN next year.

Thank you for allowing us to pass the baton with such confidence. Finally, thank you to Mariam, our next Editor-in-Chief. I so appreciate the thoroughness and thoughtfulness that you’ve already demonstrated. I cannot wait to see where it takes you, and how much the paper will flourish under your care.

To all the editors, writers, photographers, artists, and staff members who have made this org so fun to be a part of – thank you.

And to you, the reader: thank you for opening my emails, for sending me kind feedback, for giving me the privilege of sharing the MHN. Being your publisher has been the greatest honor.

Most Thursdays for the past two years, I’ve complained about the late nights and wonky sleep schedules. Now that my Thursday nights will be like every other night, I wish we could have one more – a few more hours listening to Jesse tell his latest story, or laughing with Sophie about some ridiculous typo.

One more walk home from the newsroom at 3 a.m. on a silent campus. I hope that I never forget what it was like to be a part of this team. I hope for the rest of my life, Thursday night means something special to me.

Managing Editor of Content: Emma Watkins ’23

I joined Mount Holyoke News as a copy editor during the beginning of the pandemic. Editing from my childhood bedroom, I felt on the periphery of all the workings of the paper but grew to know MHN as one of the greatest things that Mount Holyoke would give me.

Thank you to Kelsey Thomas for listening to my anxious ramblings via Twitter DM on my first night of being Copy Chief last fall, and for your willingness to train me at the last minute, even having already graduated. Your expertise and reassurance made me so much more comfortable going into the role.

Rose Cohen, I will always treasure our nights of InDesign problem solving, writing about the “Twilight” Renaissance and hosting A&E movie night. I loved being your co-editor, co-writer and friend. Thank you to my first publishing night team: Declan, Liz, Rose and Ali. You all were so wonderful to work with and get to know. To Declan, for being our fearless leader, entertaining us with your stand-up routines and helping me organize Cassani Room movie nights. To Liz, for always being there to give me advice on MHN and everything else — I wish we had met sooner. To Rose for the shared laughter and for always bringing the good mouse to publishing nights. To Ali, for teaching me the ins and outs of MHN E-Board (and more, forthcoming…). Some of my favorite memories from junior year are with you all, and I truly treasure our time together.

Lenox, I couldn’t have asked for a better successor for Copy Chief last spring. You’re brilliant, hilarious and so lovely to be around. Catelyn, my beloved roomie, and honorary work wife. I love our movie nights — both on the projector and in Amherst — and all our time talking and laughing and commiserating together. Thank you for always leaving my string lights on for me to come home to.

A massive thank you to this year’s publishing team. I’ve loved getting to know you all and sharing hectic Gracious Dinners with you. Sophie, I still remember our first — extremely formal — email and text exchanges as ‘Editorial Bosses.’ I’m so glad we’ve grown closer throughout this year, and not just because we can interact normally now. You lead MHN with compassion, strength and immense skill. It’s been a pleasure becoming your friend.

Ali, it’s hard to put into words what you’ve meant to me this year. Thank you for your endless advice, willingness to listen to my rants and your overall kindness. I will miss our writing group and hope we continue to share our work together. I can’t wait to see more of your concert coverage in the near future.

Jesse, my fellow middle-of-theU.S.-Virgo-only-child, there would not be nearly as much laughter at publishing night without you. Thank you for always helping me with my layout crises. Attending Glascock weekend events together is a highlight of my MHC experience. I know MHN will continue to thrive under your watch.

Lydia, you’ve been such a pleasure to get to know. You are so funny, candid and capable. I can’t wait to read your horoscopes next year — be kind to Virgos.

Tara and Jendayi, I know you’ll both be incredible as MEC. Tara, I remember when you first wrote for A&E when I was editing that section. I was so impressed with your writing and the excitement that you brought to the News.

Jendayi, ever since you stepped into your role as section editor I’ve been blown away by your editing skills and the way you work and communicate with others. I know you both will do incredible things as MEC, and I can’t wait to watch you both grow into the role. Mariam, I know you will be an amazing Editor-in-Chief. You’ve done so much for MHN already and I cannot wait to see the paper grow under your leadership, skill and talent!

To the rest of the next E-Board, I believe in you all so much and can’t wait to see what you’ll accomplish next year. Add some new content to the Wall of Inspiration to leave for future org members. Remember to lean on each other when things get overwhelming — which they likely will — and know that you can accomplish great things together.