“Hoo, Boy.” That was our first group chat name, and it described our first issue. It came from a crossword clue on Alexis’s newspaper hat, and encompassed our entire Inkblot experience. The honor to serve as co-EICs went quicker than anticipated, but we tried to leave a lasting impression through puns and Coolvetica. As we look back on every day of our past six issues, one thing remains the same, though: hoo, boy.

Alexis Colucci

Anyone who knows me knows that in all my relationships, I love hard. My relationship with The Inkblot was no different. It became part of me, something so inherently natural it felt endless. I dreamt about story assignments and ate dinner over copy edits. 

Freshman year, I knew I wanted to be an EIC, but lacked the ability to express it. As a co-EIC, The Inkblot has transformed me into a more sociable, multi-tasking, confident woman, and I am eternally thankful. I also did it with one of my best friends. Something about long layout days and entire issues in Acrobat really brought Sarah and I together. She was the style to my content, and I have never met anyone so brilliant and kind-hearted.  

Looking back, of course there was more to do, and that was hard to accept. But, we did our best. We started without an adviser on one of the biggest responsibilities we’ve ever had and held The Inkblot together. 

But, we had help from our staff, our amazing Managing Editor, Phoebe, whose persistence and fearlessness made her the best The Inkblot’s ever seen and Mr. Woolley, who is truly as unique as an inkblot in pure life experience. He’s also taught me more about leadership, confidence and learning to live life more than I could’ve asked for. 

This job has changed me in countless ways and I appreciated every second. I hope you enjoyed the reign of #S.M.A.C., and I have full confidence that the new EICs and Mr. Woolley will continue to make this paper thrive. 

Sarah McNey

Believe it or not, I actually did not start writing for The Inkblot until my sophomore year. I was a timid freshman: I didn’t think I had anything to say that was worth publishing, and if I did, I was too afraid to express it. Three years later, I’ve covered everything from climate change to a mold outbreak. I’m more confident than ever, and I have The Inkblot to thank. 

It goes without saying that serving as co-EIC changed my life. The Inkblot became a part of my identity, and Room 107 became my second home. I filled every spare moment by making copy edits or brainstorming for future issues. The Inkblot occupied my mind at all times.

I am forever grateful to our staff for making my experience this past year so wonderful. Every single reporter, photographer and editor was integral in creating each issue, and we wouldn’t have survived without their talent. Our Managing Editor, Phoebe, is the strongest, most hardworking person I know, and our new adviser, Mr. Woolley, always supported us through every crisis (and trust me, there were plenty). 

But I’m most thankful for my co-EIC, Alexis. I never thought that I would gain a best friend from The Inkblot, but I’m so glad I did. There is nobody more passionate, powerful and thoughtful than her, and there’s no one else I’d rather have by my side.

I may not have found a new career path through The Inkblot, but I’ve found new parts of myself and was able to truly come out of my shell. This experience has been an honor, and I hope you all enjoyed every story, graphic and spread.