This year, five Meredith Herald staff members are leaving us to go on to greater things. These five women have all given their time, talent and passion to The Herald, whether this is their first year on staff or they’ve been here for many years. Editor in Chief Mimi Mays, A&E Editor Lilly Wood, Staff Writer Hannah Flood and Copy Editors Amelia Bryant and Sofia Mazzola were interviewed by The Herald to celebrate their upcoming graduation and dedication to The Herald. As a senior, the transition from college life to “real adulthood,” as it is sometimes described, can be rocky. However, the first thing on everyone’s mind right now is the fact that this transition has become expedited by the COVID-19 pandemic. As Mimi puts it, “college seniors across the country are devastated to have their senior year end like this,” but being a student at such a close-knit college as Meredith, which also puts great emphasis on traditions and community, makes that even more difficult. Sofia, a member of the Bathtub Ring, lists that as one of the most difficult things for her: “I wasn’t just looking forward to participating in Stunt or Class Day, but performing as part of that group” for the last time. Hannah says that despite being somewhat nontraditional in the fact that she’s a commuter, she’ll miss the daily drive to school and being at Meredith daily. Lilly adds that she’ll miss the friendly unexpected encounters that are so easy to have on a small campus. There is some silver lining to spending their last months off-campus, though; Amelia says that this has motivated her to “jump-start” her job search and her motivation for life after graduation. While COVID-19 has undoubtedly been hardest on our seniors, Mimi says that it’s important to remember that “these are just two crummy months out of a whole four amazing years,” and she trusts this experience will make her and her peers even stronger. Being a student at Meredith is often professed to be a one-of-a-kind experience, and our seniors recounted many experiences that demonstrated that. Lilly remembers meeting her future best friend by starting a random conversation in a hallway. Hannah tells the story of her London study-abroad trip where she decided to declare her English major. It’s the little things about Meredith that made our seniors fall in love with their school. One thing that our seniors repeated over and over was that they never expected to enjoy their time at Meredith so much, but the longer they were here, the more great memories they made and the more opportunities came their way. The Herald is, of course, the place where these five women came together, and as such it’s only right to talk about their involvement on the staff. Hannah has been with us since January 2018 and has contributed many pieces to The Herald throughout her time here. She says that some of her favorite articles to write were feature pieces about art exhibits in Gaddy-Hamrick. Lilly, one of our newer staff members, came onboard as A&E Editor this year. She has been both an editor and a writer this year and has contributed often in many different sections of the paper. Amelia became involved with the newspaper this year as a lover of grammar. She’s been one of two designated copy editors this year, a role that hadn’t been filled in a while and one which all the staff can attest was sorely missed. Sofia was involved with the campus literary journal, The Colton Review, before coming to The Herald this year to try something new. She also puts her grammar skills to use as a copy editor. Finally, Mimi, our Editor in Chief, has been on the staff of The Herald since her sophomore year and quickly found herself in a leadership role. She became Associate Editor as a junior before assuming her current role and has recently been spearheading efforts to revamp and revitalize The Herald. She’s worked hard to expand our budget, which has allowed us to print longer and more colorful issues, she oversaw entries to the NC College Media Association conferences, where we’ve won several awards, and she revamped the paper’s online and social media presence, even before she ushered the staff into new virtual COVID-19 protocol. The paper would not be the same without her leadership. As our seniors prepare to end their time at Meredith, the rest of the staff of The Herald would like to thank them for their service and dedication. Despite the uncertain times we live in, we know that they will go on to be successful women in whatever career paths they choose. We at the paper, though, will miss them dearly.
Mimi Mays, Editor in Chief Parting wisdom: Know what you don’t know. If you don’t know what you don’t know, you don’t know what knowledge to seek, and you should never stop seeking knowledge. “The world is a great book, of which those who never stir from home read only a page.” – St. Augustine
Lilly Wood, A&E Editor
Parting wisdom: You are powerful and deserve the world, so go ahead and grab hold of the opportunities offered to you. Life’s too short for regrets.
Amelia Bryant, Copy Editor
Parting wisdom: Don’t take anything for granted, not one single second! Also, schoolwork is important, but sometimes done is good enough!
“We do not need magic to change the world, we can carry all the power we need inside ourselves already.”
– J.K. Rowling
Sofia Mazzola, Copy Editor
Parting wisdom: Busyness does not equate success. You can make an impact in the thing(s) you’re excited about without burning yourself out.
Hannah Flood, Staff Writer
Parting wisdom: Take your time and find your place. You can always try something and decide it isn’t for you, but you can’t reclaim missed opportunities.
“Live in the sunshine. Swim in the sea. Drink in the wild air.”
– Ralph Waldo Emerson
By Olivia Slack, Online Editor
Interviews by Sofia Gomez, Podcasting Director
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