As the semester winds down, and I come to terms with my impending graduation from St. Lawrence University, I firmly believe that it is in the Hill News Office that I have learned the most in the shortest amount of time. I have spent only a year as an editor on the Hill News staff; however, the experience has been one of the best of my time at college. I would like to think, with rose-colored glasses, that in this section we pushed people to think differently, presented alternative, well-informed viewpoints, and gave a platform for any student or professor to voice their opinion to the campus community. In reality, mistakes were made, formatting got stale, and images were often fillers during weeks where I needed to fill space due to a shortage of content. It was heartening to see non-staff writers submit opinions for the first time and to see established writers grow their portfolio and improve their work. We stood by our writers during times of tension, and I believe firmly that every individual who published pieces this semester did so eloquently and with the best of intentions. Looking back on that now, I am immensely proud of all of this section’s writers. However, I must pass the proverbial torch, which brings me to part two of this last letter from the editor of 2017.

Taking over this section will be incoming senior Travis Hamre. Travis has written extensively for The Hill News the last few years and has built a reputation for challenging viewpoints with facts and reason, and for being a timely, grammatically sharp writer. He has written on health care reform, New York state’s free tuition plan, and satires on The Odyssey just in the past year alone. I’ll admit, Travis’ political viewpoints and my own do not line up, not by a long shot. However, he presents his arguments with grace and facts and is willing to put his opinion on paper in an atmosphere where I believe many would not. It is for that reason that he is taking over the section, and the staff is excited to have him on board. I would like to briefly thank you, the reader, for turning to pages two and three every Friday and reading your peers’ opinions. I believe it is a vital tool on this campus, and I know that Travis and the incoming staff will continue to work hard to uphold the standards of The Hill News.