Editor’s Desk: Documenting Life in College and Beyond

Since my first semester at Loyola, I’ve periodically carried around my trusty Sony camcorder to capture outings with friends in Chicago and little moments of joy wherever we went.

At the end of nearly every semester since, I’ve made a compilation video featuring these clips set to a song by one of my favorite artists.

When I started recording, I don’t think I realized how important these videos would become for me, my friends and my family. 

Even just a few years removed, watching the videos makes me realize how much I’ve changed during my time in college. I also realized how this project I started sort of runs parallel to my time with student journalism.

As The Phoenix, we’re sort of documenting the happenings of the student body and the university and creating a time capsule for future generations to look back on.

Since January, I haven’t filmed as many things as I would have liked. I’ve been busy and sick and overwhelmed, but I hope to use this story as my motivation to film more often.

Last year, my roommate asked me whether I was going to keep making videos once I could no longer break up the time in my life by semesters. I didn’t have an answer for her then, and I don’t have one now, but I hope I keep recording.

In this week’s issue, we have coverage from a roundtable with the former president of Ireland, a feature on students who crochet and a reflection on gun violence in America.

Finally, I want to congratulate our staff on the awards won from the Illinois College Press Association. It takes hard work from every writer, editor and adviser, and I couldn’t be more proud.

Thank you for reading.

Featured image by Austin Hojdar / The Phoenix