Coming Full Circle at the Paper That Started It All
Emma Denes, the Circle’s outgoing Editor-in-Chief, gives a final farewell to the Marist student newspaper.
Photo by Kinga Denes
Upon arriving at Marist College as a new freshman student in the fall of 2021, perhaps I was a bit too eager to join the Marist Circle. In fact, my initial interaction with the student newspaper was not at the first official meeting of the semester in the Lowell Thomas Communications Center, but at an editors-only meeting I accidentally walked into in the Student Center. I guess you could also say it’s reminiscent of how I stumbled upon journalism in the first place.
Unlike those who claim writing as their true calling from the very beginning, I started out as a theatre kid, falling in love with musical theatre when I performed in my first (and still favorite) musical, the journalism-themed “Newsies.” As if that couldn’t predict my future career path enough, I also developed an enthusiasm for marine biology and a healthy obsession with whales — followed by the realization that while I enjoyed learning about the science of the sea, I didn’t find myself fond of completing the hands-on research that fueled it. By the time I reached high school, writing for the student newspaper and discovering the art of science writing revealed to me a new path forward, one where I could combine my curiosity for the natural world with my talent for putting pen to paper. At the Circle is where it all came together.
Throughout my three and a half years at the Circle, environmental journalism has remained my tried-and-true focus, and I have been privileged enough to almost exclusively cover this consequential beat for the paper. Interviews with regional and international experts have empowered me to digest, unravel and translate fascinating science for readers, including research on methane hot spots, nitrogen-fixing tropical trees and the Antarctic Circumpolar Current. I’ve also had my fair share of memorable reporting experiences, from riding in a golf cart across campus to locate signs of drought to attending a press conference with famed environmentalist Lewis Pugh.
Admittedly, reporting about the environment doesn’t often revolve around giving good news. Global fossil fuel emissions continue to rise by billions of tons, while the goal of protecting 30% of lands and waters by 2030 still seems out of reach. But whether it be the creativity of sustainable fashion or the ingenuity of agrivoltaics, writing about the positive intersections between people and the natural world has given me so many reasons to have hope. If I can do my part in this climate crisis to keep audiences informed about the present and excited about the future, then I couldn’t ask for a better purpose in life. As I prepare to begin my online graduate studies in science writing at Johns Hopkins University in January, my resolve for doing this work has only been strengthened.
Beyond my individual reporting and writing pursuits, being a part of the Circle’s editorial team since my sophomore year has afforded me the opportunity to further appreciate the behind-the-scenes workings of what it takes to put our paper together. I started in the position of the Circle’s Administrative Assistant, downloading way too many invoice PDFs and combing through the strangest of sounding public relations emails on a daily basis. From there, I rose up the ranks to Features Editor, leading the section that still has my heart today, while coaching writers to be the best version of themselves on the page. Last semester, I originated the role of Assistant Managing Editor, committing AP Style rules to memory and staying up until 12 a.m. every other Monday to edit the paper with an attention to detail that somehow managed to function at midnight. And then, it finally happened: I became Editor-in-Chief.
Under my leadership of the Circle this semester, I’m delighted to share that we have implemented several changes, making both the process and product of the Circle that much more efficient and exciting. The new design of the paper itself looks modern and organized, with a consistent font style, line dividers and stories placed in full. No longer do those Monday nights run so late due to last-minute text edits before the paper goes to print, as articles are fully edited over the weekend and ready to be posted online on a regular schedule right away. And every single person, from staff writer to editor, can reference position guides and a Story Guide I created to easily walk through all steps of the reporting and writing processes.
Admittedly, it’s been quite the ride balancing academic responsibilities with the demands of my final semester at Marist, but through it all, I credit the Circle with helping me grow in confidence, tenacity and spirit. Furthermore, I wouldn’t be here today were it not for all the people I have crossed paths with along the way. Indeed, it’s finally time for me to embark on the time-honored thank-you tradition of the senior send-off.
Thank you to Dr. Kevin Lerner and Prof. Jeffrey Basinger for serving as the Circle’s faculty advisors and my professors, supporting both the paper and me. Dr. Lerner, when you asked me to introduce New York Times opinion columnist Jamelle Bouie at his Fusco Hall lecture last fall, I was humbled and honored. Thank you for teaching me what it means to be a good journalist and how to do good journalism. Prof. Basinger, the trip you organized to the New York Times headquarters last year has become a treasured Marist memory, and it’s something I’ll never forget. No matter where I end up working in the future — even if I secretly hope I’ll re-enter the Times building one day — I will have you to credit for showing me in your Photojournalism course how pictures really can be worth 1,000 words.
I want to thank Dr. Richard Feldman, who I count as another one of my mentors here at Marist and whose passion for the natural world has only served to fuel mine even further. Dr. Feldman, your Biodiversity & Conservation class was one of my favorite undergraduate courses, and I promise it’s not just because you allowed me to spend an entire semester researching baleen whales. Prof. Kathy Norton McNulty, thank you for training me in the nuts and bolts of news and magazine writing, instilling in me a work ethic that will never waver. Whenever I write an attention-grabbing lead, I know it’s because you taught me how to do it. Prof. Leander Schaerlaeckens, thank you for encouraging me to hone my passions and write about what I love. If I ever want help composing a nut graf or need some sarcastic humor, I’ll know where to find you.
Prof. Brian PJ Cronin, thank you for giving me the opportunity to study Environmental Reporting before I head off into the world to practice it professionally, and I’ll keep coming back to your Highlands Current stories for inspiration. Dr. Qihao Ji, thank you for being my advisor throughout my Marist years, helping me finetune my interests along the way. And President Kevin C. Weinman, thank you for your continued support for the Circle. It was wonderful meeting with you, and congratulations on officially joining the paper as a contributor!
To former Editor-in-Chief Lauryn Starke ‘23 and former Managing Editor Greta Stuckey ‘23 — thank you both for welcoming me to the Circle with open arms and offering me my first editorial board positions. With your help, I found my home away from home on campus. To former Features Editors Sasha Tuddenham ‘23 and Maddi Langweil ‘23, thank you for sharing with me your wisdom and giving me the space to sharpen my abilities as part of the paper’s best section, in my entirely unbiased opinion. Anaiya Bobo ‘23, Ava Battinelli ‘26 and Emily Stellakis ‘24, I’m so glad I can also count you as my good Circle friends. Sam Murphy ‘24 and Erin-Leigh Hoffman ‘24, when you told me that you had known for a long time that I would be the next Editor-in-Chief, it still came as a very pleasant surprise to me. Thank you both for believing in me enough to hand me the paper you two had previously led with unbelievable skill.
Erin Holton ‘25 and Andrew Breen ‘25, thank you for standing by my side as the best Co-Managing Editors anyone could ask for. I cannot wait to watch the two of you take the Circle to the next level as Co-Editors-in-Chief next semester, and that April Fool’s issue better be happening! To the rest of our editors — Luke Sassa ‘25, Ben Leeds ‘26, Emma Gaecklein ‘26, Jamie Holzmann ‘25, Kyle Esoian ‘25, Lindsey Clinton ‘27, Cora Flynn ‘26, Miguel Rojas ‘25 and Lizzie Baumgardner ‘25 — thanks to each and every one of you for your commitment and dedication to the paper. I know I asked a lot of you this semester (often through constant texts on my part), but I have been consistently inspired by your journalistic talent, coordinated passion and novel ideas.
Thank you to Chief of Graphic Design Amanda Nessel ‘25, as well as Graphic Design Assistants Angie Ruiz ‘27, Christina Brown ‘27, Bella Loiacono ‘27 and Marisa Brown ‘27, for making our paper possible on a bi-weekly basis with a flair for finesse. Hannah Tone ‘26, thanks to you and the multimedia assistants, I’ve endlessly scrolled through our website and Instagram page in admiration. Lea Papakosmas ‘25, thank you for handling distribution and marketing responsibilities so effectively, and Audrey Hansen ‘27, thanks for carrying on the Administrative Assistant legacy!
To the Circle’s whole host of staff writers: it’s been an absolute pleasure working with you, whether I edited your writing, answered your questions or admired your work. In a time when truth is needed more than ever, student journalism remains alive and well because of you.
I would also like to give a special thank you to the countless sources who have generously taken the time to be interviewed for my articles, giving me the chance to sit in on conversations that were enlightening and inspiring in equal measure.
Most of all, I would like to thank my parents for being my biggest cheerleaders since the beginning. And to my mom — although I’ve switched my dream of winning a Tony Award to winning a Pulitzer Prize, it will always be dedicated to you.
During my final Circle meeting last month, sitting at the end of the unreasonably long table in our new office and surrounded by the paper’s staff, I gazed around the room with gratitude. It made me think of Katherine Plumber, the heroine journalist of “Newsies,” and the words she sings in her writer’s block anthem: “So whatever happens, let’s begin!” That’s how I felt when I started college, and it’s how I feel today, finding myself caught in between the end of my Marist journey and the beginning of the next chapter of my life.
I, for one, can’t wait to watch what happens.
Until the next byline,
Emma Denes