In a mere two weeks, we will be passing on the torch of the Globe leadership.
It has been four years since we joined the Globe staff as young eager reporters, ready to absorb the lay of the land of scholastic journalism and extend the bounds of our education.
Needless to say, our education is not concluding after we cross the stage on May 31 — these years were only the beginning of a much longer journey. But, we are prepared to embark on this journey because we have learned so much vital information over the course of the past four years.
This learning extends far beyond textbook pages and problem sets, and we would like to use this space to share a few of these things with you. Before we walk out of CHS’ doors one final time, we cannot help but ponder where we’d be if it weren’t for the Globe and CHS communities.
Most importantly, we’d like to extend our gratitude for the experiences the Globe community has afforded us – experiences that have served as everlasting reminders of the power of people – and the power of stories.
Our experiences during our four years on the Globe staff have converted seemingly cliché concepts about the power of storytelling into tangible reality.
Journalism, of course, is deeply rooted in this power. From our inception as Globe reporters, we were reminded of the power that lies in using our journalistic platform to be “bearers of light” – that is, to shine light on stories, wherever they might reside.
Grouping individuals into masses is easily done in today’s society — especially concerning social issues. When people are grouped into masses, empathy and understanding is easily lost. We’ve grown to recognize storytelling’s ability to clear this clouded lens – to provide clarity in a world lacking its fair dose.
Telling individuals’ stories highlights the depth and nuance of their human nature, returning human identity to the previous ghosts of the masses.
This humanization is at the core of compassion: once we begin to see figures as multitudes of stories, we connect, we relate, and we feel.
Individuals are indeed a multitude of stories. That’s what Globe has taught us.
From the many staff conversations in the office to the conversations with interviewees, we know that a universe of stories can exist within a person — that a person is not surface, a person is deep. And we have felt our own empathy and sensitivity grow because of this everlasting lesson.
Thus, we would like to thank the Globe for not only solidifying our belief in the power of stories, but also catalyzing our personal growth as we continue developing and fine-tuning our understanding of the world around us.
Losing connection is a seemingly facile action in our world today.
Hopefully, the believers in storytelling will help strengthen these connections between humankind and build a world full of compassion and understanding.
