As a freshman stepping foot onto the Baruch College campus for the first time, I was very apprehensive and nervous, as most incoming freshmen are. The person who put me at ease was the one leading me around campus, Yelena Dzhanova. In the little time I spent with her that day, I could tell she was confident, intelligent and somebody I could easily look up to. She off-handedly mentioned that she worked for The Ticker, the undergraduate newspaper, and I instantly knew I wanted to be a part of it.
There was a newspaper at my high school that I always wanted to be a part of but never joined because I was too scared my writing wasn’t good enough. This time, I swore that would change. That night, I went home and looked through the website and found a section that was virtually screaming my name, the Science and Technology section. I emailed Maya Yegorova, the section editor at the time and asked if I could write for her.
If I’m being honest, my first newspaper articles were hot garbage. Ledes were buried, AP guidelines were ignored and Oxford commas were abundant. I didn’t know how to write journalistically at all. However, Maya sent me emails every week when edits were done about ways that I could improve my writing.
I took her advice and continued writing every week. Eventually, little by little, week by week, I made an impression on her, and she asked me if I wanted her position. I jubilantly said yes and she took me under her wing. She taught me everything I know about being a section editor and for that, I am eternally grateful.
When I took over as section editor, I started working under a talented trio of power: copy chief Angel Torres, managing editor Victoria Merlino and editor-in-chief Yelena Dzhanova at the head. Immediately, I clicked well with this group. They encouraged me to progress more in my craft. With their help, I started producing full-page spreads that I still keep copies of.
I started reaching out to other sections and writing for them. Benjamin Wallin, the Arts & Culture editor at the time, arranged tickets to Hadestown and I went with him to write an article about it. I argued with Noah Fleischman about the ethics of eating meat in a head-to-head opinions piece.
My section grew, and I grew with it. I made friends who would go on to become Ticker leadership later on: Andrew Marzullo, Diana Shishkina, Noah Fleischman, Mandy Salazar, Ayce Kelde. I shared much of my life with them, as did they with me.
However, toward the end of my sophomore year, my first year as section editor, I started faltering academically and socially due to issues in my personal life. Though I was still fulfilling my responsibilities as a section editor, it was with less enthusiasm, and Victoria and Yelena saw that. They helped me through it and held multiple meetings with me to try to get me back in the rhythm of things. I will always remember their softness with me when they could have gone the easy route of dismissal. They didn’t have to care, but they chose to.
I didn’t end up signing up for classes in what was supposed to be my junior year. I had to leave school temporarily to deal with those burgeoning personal issues. Alongside Baruch, I had to leave The Ticker for the first time. It wasn’t easy.
It had become my weekly escape; to get lost in writing an article is a blessing. But I had to say a hurried goodbye and try my best to train the next section editor in the few short weeks I maneuvered my way into the building.
My break was only supposed to be for one semester. However, when COVID hit, I ended up not returning properly until Spring 2023. I wanted to hit the ground running, so I decided that one of the things I owed myself was to start writing for The Ticker again. I wrote every week, this time not needing as many edits, and eventually caught the eye of Razia Islam. History repeated itself when she asked me to take over after her and I couldn’t help but say yes.
This time, I had fewer writers to work with and I was rusty with InDesign, but I had the guidance of some pretty amazing people. Whenever I had a qualm, question or query, Maya Demchak-Gottlieb or Sonia Kalo would come to the rescue and help me sort it out.
With their help, I fell into a rhythm. I started writing for other sections again. I interviewed and co-wrote an amazing spread about the mapping of the fly brain, my favorite work of the year.
As a final goodbye to the section, I’ve decided to write an article in every section for this issue. With all my writing combined, this letter marks my 101st Ticker article, and I couldn’t be prouder of the work I’ve poured into The Ticker.
But more than pride at my work, I’m proud of what I’ve seen The Ticker evolve into. Though I’ve only been here for a few years out of the long-storied history of the paper, I have complete faith that the Baruch journalists of yesteryear are smiling at the journalists of today.
The future of The Ticker is in great hands, and I can’t wait to see what it evolves into next.
