Reflections from the departing members of The Phillipian, vol. CXLVII.
“We are the backbone of this paper. To every other section: stop turning things in late, I’m trying to get back to the dorm. To everyone who wants to read my message: Long live Copy. Long live Alex Zhang ’23. Long live my love for the paper, the Newsroom, and, most importantly, the people. C3 out.” – C. Cheng
“There aren’t many things harder to get out of bed for than Thursday night copying, but it was fun. Thank you to everyone for making this experience something worth remembering.” – T. Pham
“‘Stories are light’ is what Gregory the dungeon keeper whispers to Despereaux, the small mouse with a spool of red thread. Dear friends, (because you are all so truly dear to me) your light outshines the stars.
To CXLVIII: the days pass slowly, but the months will fly by. Don’t forget to breathe- you are telling stories, after all. Don’t take yourselves too seriously, and at the same time, know that you’re adding to a legacy spanning centuries. All hail the day 1 goats vera and langan, and the og newz tianyi cathy jac gang. And always remember: where there’s a will, there’s a way.” – W. Ge
“It’s never the end of the world and everything happens for a reason. So take life in stride and trust that the world is looking out for you. Love and hope always.” – C. Ma
“‘For every complex problem there’s a solution that is simple, neat, and wrong,’ said H.L. Menken. Someone should’ve told me that when the website got hacked the first time. Would’ve saved me from the second time. And the third time. To The Phillipian, thank you for trusting me with a website that, somehow, survived it all (mostly). To CXLVII: I hope you endured the SOTA all-nighters, frantic calls from Louisa, and scramble to find photos that don’t exist on Slack with composure and (healthy) loads of caffeine. You’ve made this all worth it. The newsroom is a home, the photos resulting from it are atrocious, the stories I’ll remember forever, and I did it all without writing a single article. So, to CXLVIII, just know that sometimes, the best story might be one you can’t put into words.” – N. Liang
“The Phillipian has been the most endearing thing Andover has given me. I fell in love with the late-night chaos in the Newsroom and rushing to edit overdue Sports articles. But more importantly, I fell in love with all the people—their passion, humor, and relentlessness—that turned the chaos into something extraordinary. Four years ago, I couldn’t have imagined the end of this restless yet beautiful journey. But now, as I step away, all I can say is this: The Phillipian has given me so much, and I leave it knowing I gave it my all.” — N. Nazar
“The nights may seem long and the days may seem endless, but there is always a light at the end of the tunnel… Embrace The Phillipian, despite its tumultuous nature. More importantly, cherish your time with these people and this place. Nothing lasts forever, but oh, how I wish it could!
Em dash, italics
Copy will always prevail
Live big, love bigger”
– M. Burton
“Thank you to every Phillipian member, your ideas and hard work inspire me! If you ever hold back because you think you’re not good enough, or if you wait there’ll be a time when you’ll know more—just go for it! (it’s usually not as serious as it seems) Remember to check in with all the section members, and keep it fun! Maybe that means playing your favorite song while skipping to the newsroom, but there’s always a way to find joy.” – S. Staii
“The Phillipian has taught me three things: 1) I know I have done something right when I can convince complete strangers to translate my blots of ink into a message capable of initiating action. 2) Never lose your message while trying to impress people. The people you want to reach are the people that come to your stories in hopes that they will be held accountable. Don’t let them down. 3) Cmmtry is best section. I love you Tina Arim Amy Micheal Camille, ill miss u weirdos :>” – L. Glace
“From cooking up fire illus seconds before the deadline to hunting down mia illustrators, I’ve loved my time in the Phillipian – always filled with laughter, color, and purpose. Keep creating!” – K. Stepanova
“ggwp and GO GRAPHIC!” – J. Xiao
“For much of my time on The Phillipian I chased a number — a stupid number of ad revenue. However, after achieving my goal of securing the most ad revenue ever, I realized it was utterly meaningless in comparison to the relationships I built through late night talks over cups of tea and shared laughter. Thank you to all that made this grind worth it, Vera, Michael, Valencia, Philip, Julia, Jaciel, and many more. And to those who gave me something to sell, my deepest gratitude.” – S. Virmani
“Came for the baby carrots, leaving with memories I thought I would never have. I say this with love because of all of you (shoutout to lei, Micheal, Camille, C3, msb). The copy to cmmtry pipeline is real, so go wherever the wind takes you. It’ll be a.o.k.” – A. Oku
“Live. Laugh. Love. Arts.” – A. Tu
“Thank you to everyone who made CXLVII possible. I have faith that under the next board the 8th Page will achieve its rightful stature, the homepage of the Phillipian app. Good luck CXLVIII!” – T. Sfikas
“Joined the phillipian because I was told it was low commitment, stayed for the wednesday snacks. to multi (michelle, sofia, brian, sophia, abby) and my plip friends, 넘넘 사랑하고 고마워” – N. Kim
“I feel as though my time at the Phillipian mimicked the career of Rams ex-star running back, Todd Gurley II. It was a short prime where I was an asset to the sportz team but I have not one accolade to show for it. However, just as Todd Gurley revolutionized the hurdle, I feel as though I will have left a legacy of being insanely unproductive in the newsroom. I want to thank the entirety of the sportz section, as well as all of those who captured my attention while I should have been editing articles as I told Nabilah I was “hard at work..” – M. Williamson
“Respect is something a lot of people take for granted, so a lot of people never go out of their way to find a place where the ceiling of what they can accomplish gets pushed higher or where they can really feel valued. Discovering the newsroom and the passion I found there was a big deal for me, and I encourage anyone even thinking of joining the paper to just do it. Sure, it can be a crapshoot, but you don’t know what skills you’ll discover or how you may develop. Making y’all laugh was the highlight of my week. It’s been real.” – C. Vest
“To CXLVII, and my beloved CXLVI predecessors, thank you for everything you’ve taught me. To Michael and Izzy, I hope I’ve made you both proud in carrying on your legacies. To CXLVIII, it’s your turn now to lead this ship. Do so with grace, confidence, and most importantly, love. And always remember: long live business.” – V. Zhang
“Maturing is realizing when to stop complaining about Andover and enjoy the ups and the downs. Working on the UM board of CXLVII has brought me some of my most painful, hearty laughs and late-night tears while aggressively slamming on my keyboard. Thank you. I’ll miss walking into the newsroom yelling “hola baddies” but the end has come… Heyon out.” – H. Choi
“I’m a believer that if you do and pursue what you love, if you let your spark embrace you, you will find home and family wherever you go. What I’ve learned? Dare to embrace your spark. It will take you places, in the Newsroom and beyond, that you could never ever have imagined. It may not always light the way clearly, but it will take you somewhere worth going. I know it certainly did for me. Members of CXLVII, I have learned from your experiences, both the highs and the lows, your immeasurable talents, your undying passion, and your ever-burning love. Thank you for stories and memories that’ll last a lifetime. CXLVIII, the paper is in your hands. Love it, and it will love you back.” -T. Gu
to cxlv, cxlvi, cxlvii, and the forthcoming cxlviii: thank you for everything you have given me. my time at andover has been made special because of you, and i will hold these memories dear to me for the rest of my life. it has been an honor to serve as layout associate, layout editor, and managing editor for this newspaper, and i love you all, from the deepest recesses of my heart. look at the sky: the moon is pretty tonight, too. – a. he
“Some of my best memories have been made in the newsroom and serving as EE is an experience I’ll never forget. To um and cxlvii: thank you for making this year the best one yet. I am so proud of everything we’ve accomplished. To cxlviii: love the place, love the people, love the paper.” – J. Gordon
“From my first 8p article to writing articles at 7 on Thursday, it’s been real. I would do it all again if I could. Thank you to everyone who has been with me along the way and everyone who has poured themselves into the paper. You all taught me what it feels like to be respected and valued. Just remember it is never that serious but always be kind.” – L. Carter
