Observing the magic
Reflecting with gratitude on the organization that brought me out of my shell
Levy Le–The Tech
When I started at MIT, I was a mosaic of the arts and sciences. I prided myself in exploring the creative pursuits of music, art, and of course, writing. Then, the excitements and novelties of freshman fall gave way to courseroading and future-planning, p-setting and studying. Everything else was moved to the margins.
I don’t think I joined a single club in my freshman fall, though I wanted to. It seemed to me that the best way to set myself up for the next four years was to throw myself into my academics and then build up from there. Despite enjoying new friends, new classes, and essentially a whole new life, I felt something was missing. And then I got an email in February:
The Tech Open House - free dinner!
I didn’t go to the Open House, but that email is the reason you’re reading this article today. I became a copyediting prospective in my freshman spring, hoping to read others’ work as more of an observer while being too shy to write myself. On Tuesdays, I read almost every single article that ended up in print issues. Our team of three Copy staff was small but mighty; we’d take tours through the News, Arts, Science, Sports, and Campus Life sections that color MIT and debate anything along the scale of punctuation to paragraphs. I found surprises and learnings in every corner of the paper, reading articles about professors, research, concerts, and the current events that impact a global community far beyond Cambridge. My time as Copy staff expanded my perspective of myself. I was no longer a mere observer of MIT life, but an active participant in shaping how the Institute is represented and how it is perceived.
Last year, I was honored to step into the role of Publisher for Volume 145 of The Tech. My goal changed from seeking errant typos to defining the direction of the newspaper in an especially turbulent year. Such a nebulous task was daunting, especially as I had never written for The Tech before and felt unfamiliar with certain black boxes in the content pipeline. I felt like an impostor, and that maybe I should have remained an observer. Just when I thought I had to just figure it out on my own, I experienced one of the things I’ll miss most about this Institute — community. It’s corny to say, so bear with me, but I have been so grateful for this community, mentorship, and friendships I’ve found within our office in Stud 4. To every managing board member who supported and challenged me, every staff member who responded to my Discord messages at odd hours, and every prospective I’ve talked to at events: thank you. The people make the place, and in a place that has so much potential to represent, reflect, and inform our campus, having you alongside me has made all the difference.
I’m very proud of the work that The Tech has produced these past years, and I know the next leadership team will continue improving on what we left behind. I am equally grateful to have had the opportunity to devote time to the arts through the paper. It has made me feel more like myself.
Thank you, TT, for letting me observe some of your magic.