Thank you for letting me lead the design section with an “iron fist,” jokingly or not. Photo courtesy of Grace Hensley.
ABBY HOEHN | DESIGN EDITOR | amhoehn@butler.edu
If you were to ask me how many pages I’ve designed, graphics I’ve made or hours I’ve spent in the Collegian office on a Tuesday night, I’m honestly not sure if I would be able to tell you. The truth is, a good part of my college career has been spent with this paper, and I truly can’t believe my time is up.
The summer before my first year, I stumbled across The Butler Collegian and knew I wanted to be a part of it. As soon as I got to campus, I applied without hesitation, even though I had no idea what I was getting myself into.
Coming from high school yearbook, I had experience with design, but newspaper layout was a completely different world. I still remember walking into my first pub night, nervously working in InDesign, afraid to ask too many questions or mess something up. I didn’t want to slow anyone down, but being a perfectionist, I probably asked a hundred questions anyway. I was determined to figure it out. Little by little, I did.
What started out as something intimidating quickly became something I looked forward to each week, a creative outlet where I could see my work make an impact beyond the classroom. By our second semester, I had even convinced one of my best friends, Elizabeth Hein, to join the Design section; suddenly Tuesdays didn’t feel so nerve-wracking. They felt like somewhere I belonged.
Since then, I’ve gone from being that unsure first-year to leading the Design section as the Design Editor for the past two years. I’ve edited pages, experimented with new layout styles and created countless graphics to help bring each story to life. I’ve gotten to work alongside some of the most talented and passionate people on campus, people who care deeply about journalism, truth and making Butler’s campus a better place. The Collegian office isn’t just where we put the paper together every week; it’s where we’ve laughed, cried and created our own little family.
To my incredible team of designers, both past and present, I wouldn’t have been able to do it without you. Whether it was executing a layout, troubleshooting a stubborn text box or indulging one of my design visions for a page, your creativity and patience never went unnoticed.
Getting to collaborate with such gifted and supportive people has been one of the most rewarding parts of my college experience, and I’m so proud of what we’ve been able to create each week. You all have allowed me to become more confident in myself, my leadership skills and my ability to think outside the box; for that, I am forever grateful.
One of the best parts of this experience has been getting to mentor new designers, just like I once was. It’s been so fulfilling to pass on what I’ve learned and to see others step into their own creativity and find their place at the paper. There’s something special about being part of a section that works behind the scenes, yet plays such a huge part in the paper. I’ve been so lucky to lead such a talented group of people, and I can’t wait to see how you all continue to grow.
And while I’ve spent countless hours designing the pages that hold other people’s words, I’ve never once written an article. I can confidently say that I am a one-hit wonder. I have never had the desire to have a byline. What I loved was bringing the articles to life on the page, and ensuring that all of the time that our writers, photographers and editors put into the stories was all worth it.
It’s hard to put into words how much this paper has meant to me. But as I get ready to graduate, I feel nothing but gratitude: gratitude for the late nights, the last-minute edits, the group chats, the Slack chaos, the TikToks and everything in between. The Collegian has shaped me in ways I never expected, and I will carry those lessons with me long after I’ve laid out my final page.
To everyone who’s been part of this journey, thank you for making the Collegian feel like home. You’ve challenged me, inspired me and supported me more than you know.
In true journalistic fashion, I’ll end with a quote. One that I misattributed to one of our then-culture co-editors, Owen Madrigal. He said, “Don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened,” and I, fully convinced he had just said one of the most poetic sentiments of all time, looked at him and told him that was beautiful. It was only after everyone started laughing that someone told me that it was actually a famous quote by Dr. Seuss, but nevertheless, it has stuck with me ever since. So in the spirit of graduation, times of change, and leaving the place I have loved for the past four years, I won’t cry because it is over — I’ll smile because it happened.
