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The Pilot

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The Student News Site of Principia College

The Pilot

The Student News Site of Principia College

The Pilot

A New Year for The Pilot

FROM THE DESK OF THE EDITOR
Editor-in-Chief, Aubrey Hawke. Photo by Christopher Ajuoga.

As an aspiring journalist and historian, I think a lot about storytelling and truth. Why does storytelling have value? What stories are valuable to share? What does it mean to be truthful? Is it possible to not be biased?

In recent years the news has been a battleground leaving many hurt – I deeply understand why so many people have been left in a place of distrust, discomfort, or even phobia of the news.  

This summer, part of my job interning at The Christian Science Monitor, was spending the first hour or so of my workday reading all the news from the night before. Some days it was interesting, some days it was funny, and other days I found myself sitting at my desk with blurry eyes and a tightness in my chest. So, trust me when I say I understand the toll that trying to stay informed can take on your mental health. 

I think particularly for Gen Z, there is a strong culture of “activism.” To be a good human you have to care about everything and fight for the rights of the world’s nearly 8 billion people.  The world is on fire, and we have to know about it and do something about it. But trying to know every horrible thing happening in the world is both impossible and comes at a high mental toll. Some prominent thinkers on the subject don’t even think that it’s helpful. 

News has the power to tear communities apart. I think over the last few years that’s become terribly apparent. But, when written with empathy, curiosity, and global betterment in mind, news has the ability to knit communities together. The value of news is putting readers into perspectives and ways of life they haven’t understood before, pulling readers into experiences outside of their own. 

My goal for The Pilot is that it builds connections between Principians, helping us to understand and experience life as a community rather than single floating stars. I can’t promise we will always get it right, we are a student newspaper, but I can promise we will always try our hardest. 

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About the Contributors
Aubrey Hawke, Former Editor-In-Chief
Aubrey is the former Editor-In-Chief of The Pilot. She graduated from Principia College in 2023. She majored in history, with minors in sociology & anthropology, and gender, sexuality, & women’s studies. In her spare time, Aubrey plays viola and piano, dances classical and modern ballet, and dabbles in any other hobby she can get her hands on.
Christopher Ajuoga, Editor-in-Chief
Chris joined The Pilot in 2022 and has since worked as a staff writer, photographer, feature editor, and now editor-in-chief. He not only focuses on campus news but also culture and lifestyle. Chris is expected to graduate from Principia in May 2024.
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