Paige Kiarie/The Hilltop)
I was rejected from The Hilltop twice. As an 18-year-old sociology major with little journalistic experience, I applied for the publication as a freshman reporter, hopeful that I could exercise my passion for writing through our historic newspaper. Then, I got that fateful email from The Hilltop’s editorial team, thanking me for the time and effort I put into my application but regretfully informing me I would not be offered a position on their staff.
In my sophomore year, I switched my major to journalism, got some clips under my belt and applied again. For the second time, I got that fateful rejection email.
I’ve always been confident in my writing ability and deeply internalized the importance of storytelling as a method of documenting history. I’d studied The Hilltop’s previous coverage of the Blackburn protests, housing problems, financial aid issues and I felt the strongest desire to be a part of the conversation. Needless to say, I idolized The Hilltop, and those rejections were some hard setbacks.
It wasn’t until my junior year when then-Editor-in-Chief JD Jean-Jacques and Managing Editor, Juan Benn Jr. took a chance on me. I served as a variety section reporter for a year under the amazing Afia Barrie, who poured so much into me and exposed me to the importance of culture reporting.
I’ll never forget Afia telling me that my Homecoming story on Anok Yai was one of the most viewed pieces on the site during November, or that my coverage of the first HBCU K-Pop dance team went viral on our Instagram page. The variety section taught me how important it is to tell niche, unique narratives that move the conversation.
When Afia recommended me for the variety editor role, I wasn’t sure I was up for the task. I’d only been on The Hilltop for a year, and what did I know about leading a team of writers?
The year that followed was one to be reckoned with. From every late night perfecting a story, to every last-minute text asking my writers to cover an event, my reporters rose to the occasion and I could not be prouder of the work we produced.
My time in the variety section was for her, that 18-year-old who wanted more than anything to leave a mark on this world. I’d like to believe that freshman-year-Dru would be proud of us.
To Afia, thank you for molding me into the journalist I am today. Without your nurturing leadership style, I wouldn’t have been able to accomplish what our section did this year.
To my editorial team, thank you for our sisterhood (plus Daryl). Working together with you all was the highlight of my senior year and gave me a sense of belonging and purpose on our chaotic campus.
To Aniyah and Sydney: your leadership is unmatched. Thank you for creating a safe space for us to grow and encouraging us to push the envelope.
And to my team of writers, thank you for putting up with my antics. I’m so excited to see what you all accomplish in the future.
Just as I’ve scoured our Hilltop archives to get a glimpse of what campus life was like back then, I’d like to think future generations of Bison will do the same and admire the work we’ve put into documenting our era.
As our nomenclator, Zora Neale Hurston said, “I have the nerve to walk my own way, however hard, in my search for reality, rather than climb upon the rattling wagon of wishful illusions.”
At The Hilltop, we’ve forged our own path in search of the truth, no matter how uncomfortable. That’s something that will stick with us for the rest of our lives.
All the best,
Dru Strand