A Letter from your Senior Editor-in-Chief

What a ride these past five years have been

Senior editor-in-chief Alex K. ’20 reads the Grytte at Columbia University, Nov. 4, 2019. Each year, the newspaper staff attends the Columbia Scholastic Press Association fall conference at the campus. (Vanina Feldzstein)

Dear Grytte staff,

As I approach graduation and my final days as a student at Browning, I have been nostalgic and have been tracing out all of the important things, groups, and people that have shaped my experience for the last decade.

I know that 2020 has been a strange year, and as I look back at my (lack of a) senior year, the Grytte has created some normalcy and constancy in my life. The newspaper has, in the past, given me an escape from the harsh reality of the world outside of the red doors. 

My first memory of the Grytte was in seventh grade, actually a year before I officially joined. I remember sitting down in the library and being told that I should join the newspaper. I thought it would be a great tool to improve my writing. At the time, I didn’t understand the Grytte’s lens as a school newspaper, so there was a little bit of a learning curve and miscommunication.

Looking back, it’s funny that all the articles I wanted to write about were always being written by someone else, so I “stepped away” for the year. In hindsight, I wonder what it would be like to spend that extra year on the paper. I assume it would be pretty amazing and fun. 

But coming back in eighth grade, I was determined to make my mark on the School and the news so I “re-signed up” for the paper. I chose to write first about the Book Fair, which seemed simple enough on the surface, but was so much more. I had no idea how to tackle the piece, but I remember Mr. Katz and a bunch of the editors at the time helped me create a piece that I am proud to look back at now. From all of them, I learned how to ask the right questions and conduct interviews. But, arguably, more importantly, I also learned how to bring the vibrant and sometimes magical conversations that I had to the page. 

I learned how to bring people’s stories and emotions into my pieces, which I now see as a revolutionary development in my writing and character. That first piece, with all of the hand-holding and help, really set me up for success and a love for the newspaper. That article was my first front page, with a side little blurb saying the article headline with my name. It was truly something that inspired me to one day get the front page cover article. That first article sparked a true interest in journalism, which would be a catalyst for my love of the club.

Alex takes notes at the journalism session at Columbia University. (Vanina Feldzstein)

Since then, I have written about nearly every aspect of Browning. From the clubs to the teachers to the trips and my favorite, about the basketball championships too. I’ve kept every article I’ve ever written, and when preparing to write this farewell letter, I looked back at my growth. Each article reflects a different part of me. They all show something that I was proud of and wanted to share with the community. But they also illustrate my growth and maturity from then to now. With each article, I could see what gears were turning in young Alex’s head and what message he was trying to get across. These articles have become time aged trinkets of who I was. 

The Grytte became something that gave me a new lens to interact and approach the world. I got a rush from hearing people’s unique perspectives and getting the news first. The Grytte would be my home for the next five years, and I am so proud of everything the paper has grown into. It would introduce me to some of my closest friends and even introduce me to my future college. Thank you for everything you’ve done. What I’ve learned in this past quinquennial is more than just how to write. You taught me how to be the best version of who I am today. 

Now to the rest of the staff, editors, and future writers of the Grytte. I know that you’ll all go on to write great pieces. Now, this isn’t a cliché, because I know where you came from and, to be honest, if eighth grade Alex could do it, you can do it too. My time at the Grytte will be something that I won’t forget and is a crucial part of my view of the identity of Browning. 

Be safe and stay healthy.

See you soon,

Alex K. ’20