Letter from the Editor: Doing the Things That Scare You
Graphic by Annelise Fisher
Every semester, the Harvard Independent holds a meeting with our Graduate Board—a group of alumni from the newspaper who provide guidance, support, and help steer Indy operations. This fall marked my seventh one, and last as Editor-in-Chief. The feeling I experienced during those three hours, surrounded by the leaders who have inspired me to dedicate myself to this publication, is the very same feeling that has carried me through my final week as EIC. With the publication of this letter, my term officially concludes, and I remain deeply in awe. “How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard,” A.A. Milne in The Complete Tales of Winnie-the-Pooh wrote.
The semesterly Grad Board call represents an important moment for our publication: a chance to come together, reflect on the semester’s accomplishments and challenges, and outline how we hope to grow and strengthen the Indy moving forward. In November, as we walked through our report and highlighted the incredible feats we’ve achieved this semester—15 issues, 236 articles and crosswords, and 51 new members—I found myself taking note of how many recent graduates were on the call, listening closely, asking thoughtful questions, and offering feedback throughout the meeting.
Former president Arsh Dhillon ’23 drew me in with her extraordinary design work, which made me fall in love with the publication. Mary Julia Koch ’23 and Noah Tavares ’24—EIC and President of the Independent in 2022, when I first comped—were the ones who encouraged me to apply for an associate editor position. Marbella Marlo ’24, EIC in 2023, supported me throughout our time working together, first as an associate, then section head, and later as the newly established role of Managing Editor.
Mir Zayid Alam ’25, former Head of Business, collaborated with me and Frances Connors ’26 to launch the Harvard Independent Journalism Academy. And finally, Eliza Kimball ’25—my first editor, the section head to my associate position, my president, and my friend—was the person who trusted me enough to offer me the role of EIC.
My transition out of this role isn’t goodbye—not really. The familiar faces on the Grad Board call proved that. Their commitment to this publication has carried on long after they graduated, just as it has with our leaders from the ’70s, who have remained active members of the Grad Board and whom I’ve been lucky enough to meet. Every semester, alumni reach out asking to visit our space, browse our archives, or share memories from the Indy’s early days in 1969. At any point of engagement with the Independent, the community remains strong, ever-growing, and endlessly welcoming.
I feel incredibly lucky to have been part of this publication, and I am deeply proud of what we’ve accomplished over my three years with the Indy. I joined by chance, yet it has become both the most meaningful and the most challenging part of my college experience. Harvard news coverage has never been easy—the landscape is constantly shifting, the University is always in the spotlight, and student safety and representation remain at stake.
But that’s what makes this work so rewarding. I’ve written investigative pieces discussing faults in Harvard’s mental health services, the storied legacy of slavery emphasized through student dorms, and the financial and personal motivators behind controversial public demonstrations on Harvard’s campus. I’ve profiled student artists, shows, and organizations, and I’ve covered politics, reports, and Harvard in the news. I’ve written 56 pieces for the Independent, and each one has mattered. For that, I am grateful.
I am grateful for the support systems in my personal life and my home at 12 Arrow St., who encouraged me to keep going when things were difficult. I am grateful to Jonah Karafiol ’26, Katie Merriam ’26, and Luke Wagner ’26, my incredible executive team, who stood firmly by my side this past year in leading this paper together. I am grateful to those who picked up extra work during Tuesday night copy editing in our space, who stayed up with me on Wednesday nights reviewing our layout, and who grabbed a fresh copy of the Independent every Thursday morning. Your engagement and excitement constantly reminded me of why I did this work, no matter how hard it became. Each time I walked through my dining hall after a long night of writing, editing, and production and spotted that week’s issue on the table, I felt a wave of relief and pride. Another one down; again, that feeling.
Had I given up, had I stopped challenging myself or pushing forward, I would never have felt the fulfillment I experience each Thursday, at every Grad Board meeting, and as I write today. Giving everything you have to something is vulnerable and scary, but it also holds you to the highest standard of work and effort. The lessons of resilience, dedication, and leadership that I’ve learned here have carried into every other student organization, class, and personal endeavor I am a part of, inspiring me to exceed beyond what I once believed were my limitations. I’m not afraid of the work; I welcome it, because I’ve seen the successes and achievements that come when I give something my all.
Letting go is scary—but it is even scarier to not have anything worth letting go of.
So do the things that scare you, the unknowns you hesitate to pursue, because you can’t know the good that might come from them until you try. The feeling I have now is indescribable, and I hope everyone gets to experience a moment like this someday—the moment of releasing something that has defined you, changed you for the better, and that you’ve helped make better in return. I see the legacy I’m leaving in the remarkable writers and editors who will continue to grow and shape this paper. In the years to come, I see the Independent continuing to push the boundaries of our publication, calling attention to undercovered stories on campus, and starting new initiatives to uplift campus creativity and community. For that, I am excited.
Throughout my time in the Indy, I have grown as a writer, editor, reader, and leader, and I have been able to think more critically, engage more creatively, and move more courageously. I have given my all to the Independent, yet it has given back so much more to me in return. It has been the honor of my life to have been your Editor-in-Chief, and it is the greatest thing I have ever done.
Today is Thursday, Harvard—and my final Thursday at the helm. For that, I am whole.
Layla Chaaraoui ’26 (laylachaaraoui@college.harvard.edu) is signing off as Editor-in-Chief of the Harvard Independent.