Dear readers,
As the weather warms and our final days of high school come into view, so does the end of our time as editors-in-chief. It feels surreal to be writing our final message to you as part of The Spoke, and only now has it fully set in how quickly time has passed and how difficult it will be to step away from this community we have built and come to cherish.
For years, we watched previous graduating seniors reflect on their time at The Spoke. Now that this moment is ours, we realize there is a spectrum of emotions that comes with what lies ahead. We feel excitement for our plans after high school, including some long-anticipated traveling before packing our lives into boxes and IKEA bags for college move-in day. But nostalgia has sneakily begun to settle in, too.
We vividly remember walking into Room 268 for our first Spoke class, a little starry-eyed and very determined to prove ourselves. When we joined the editorial board as design editor and multimedia editor, we channeled that enthusiasm into hours spent drawing graphics and creating video packages to improve The Spoke’s reporting. As section editors and throughout our tenure as editors-in-chief, we have expanded on our initial goals to push the paper forward. To this day, we feel a great sense of purpose in leading the paper of record for T/E.
However, while we love the work we do, what has made this experience truly meaningful are the people we have met and the community we have served through our reporting. To our editorial board, staff and advisers, thank you. From sharing pizza on production nights to gathering over hot pot in Philadelphia during journalism conventions, we couldn’t be more thankful that you have been by our side. It has been a privilege to lead alongside you, learn from you and watch this paper grow through your work. Saying goodbye feels bittersweet, but we hope we have supported you and shaped your lives as much as you have changed us for the better.
To our readers, advertisers and supporters, The Spoke has always been — and will continue to be — a reflection of the people behind it. We hope you will continue to support its mission of delivering thoughtful, accurate and impactful news to T/E and beyond. Responsible and local reporting matters now more than ever, and The Spoke is truly a beacon of community-centered journalism.
As our time on the paper comes to a close, we eagerly look to the future and leave the paper in the hands of incoming Editors-in-Chief Ashley Du and Rajan Saha, who we are confident will lead with their own care and dedication. To The Spoke’s 2026-27 Editorial Board, we are constantly in awe of your passion for journalism and what you are capable of. We can’t imagine our high school years without the thrill of chasing down breaking news stories or the taste of Oreos on production night, and we hope you will make your own memories to reminisce on in the years to come.
Until next time,
Lily and Rowan
Lily Chen can be reached at [email protected].
Rowan Chetty can be reached at [email protected].
