Each year, graduating editors are given 30 final column inches — “30” was historically used to signify the end of a story — to reflect on their time at The Hatchet, published in the final issues of the year.

The first time I heard about The Hatchet was my freshman year, when an upperclassman told me they joined the paper as an excuse to go to events they wouldn’t otherwise attend. A year later, I joined the paper as a reporter in the video section led by Amanda Plocharski, an editor who role-modeled being a positive, friendly yet clear-minded leader. I covered various events — my camera, microphone and tripod justifying my presence in unfamiliar spaces. And, since then, I’ve gone to many interesting and new places and gotten to speak with many wonderful and new people. 

After becoming assistant video editor in my junior year, I gained a sense of what it takes to put on the entire operation that is The Hatchet. On Sundays, the townhouse fills with editors and staff from each section and only quiets down in the late hours of the night as Monday approaches. On Sundays, Nick, Kiko and I get to sit down with all of the video reporters and talk about pitches, video updates and college life. Years later, I still enjoy the mechanics and logistics of arranging the gear, coordinating the pickups and ensuring everybody is set up to make their video. A lot of reporters join the section with no prior video experience and watching them hone their craft over the past years has been incredible. 

Still, my favorite position at The Hatchet will always be delivering the paper each week during the fall of my junior year. Admittedly, I am actually a “paperboy” nepo baby because my dad also delivered the paper in Texarkana, Texas. Even though it always rained on delivery days and even though the cart had a reliably broken wheel and even though my friends loved taking photos of me lugging the stacks of paper around campus looking as disheveled as ever, I took pride in the job. I felt proud sharing everybody’s meticulous work with the campus, completing the final step in putting out the behemoth of a paper each week. It’s a century-old Monday ritual, and the GW campus is better for it. 

I’ve finished out my time at The Hatchet alongside the other video editors Nick and Kiko. I am grateful to both of them for their work over the past two years. Thank you to everyone at the paper who has helped give me a sense of place and belonging at GW, in Foggy Bottom and in the greater D.C. for the past three years. It is amazing and necessary that there is a dedicated group of students volunteering their time to record the stories of our community. 

Nick: You’ve kept the vibes up for the past two years at video and kept things moving forward. Your passion for video is apparent and radiates throughout the section.

Kiko: You are so creative and such a talented, intuitive editor! I love seeing what you cook up with every video — no matter the subject. 

Ethan: You have such an eye for the visuals! You’ve made the social media look so cool and professional. 

Grace, Faith, and Ianne: Dream squad. Thanks for all your hard work and helping us get the videos right. 

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