Dear Indy Readers,
My name is Piper Tingleaf and I have been the Design Editor for the Independent since Arsh Dhillon ’23 passed it on to me in Spring 2022. The aesthetic and unique design of the Independent originally spurred me to join the paper, and I strived to emulate that aesthetic throughout my time as Design Editor. When I stepped into the role, I had no idea what “Adobe InDesign” was and had only recently begun to feel comfortable designing artwork digitally. I wanted to maintain the standard Arsh set, and as I grew closer with the people in the Indy, I came to appreciate the gravity of my role. I needed to put my best foot forward to showcase their work properly.
When I put together my first issue, The Love Issue 2022, I had a rude awakening. That night, Mary Julia Koch ’23 and I stayed up until 4:30 A.M. to finish the issue. I finally understood the magnitude of what Arsh did every other week to create a paper unlike any other on campus and how hard Mary Julia and other editors worked to ensure the quality of each article was up to par.
I realized I could make my time at the Independent as involved or as uninvolved as I wanted it to be. I could shirk and do the bare minimum as Design Editor, or I could put my all into each issue. My Wednesdays consisted of me harassing the editors in our group chat, frantically trying to wrangle all of the design, and yelling at my laptop screen when InDesign buffered or stopped cooperating. My roommates knew when Wednesday arrived, they would find me hunched over in the common room with a concerned, focused look for hours on end. Despite the arduousness with which I describe the layout process, the reward of seeing the issue in print made it all worth it.
When Marbella Marlo ’24 and Noah Tavares ’24 stepped into their roles as Editor-in-Chief and President, respectively, and reinstated a weekly schedule, I felt apprehensive and warned them that the artistic integrity of the paper might suffer. Marbella and Noah’s faith in me, the editors, the writers, and the rest of the design team ultimately drove this initiative to success. Marbella worked tirelessly as Editor-in-Chief and Noah utterly transformed the popularity of the paper. I am grateful to be among such a diligent and passionate cohort of Independent executives.
Eliza Kimball ’25 and Layla Chaaraoui ’26 were my saving graces each week, running around (all over iMessage and Google Docs) gathering any information I needed and correcting details that elevated the paper from “good” to “near-perfect.” El Richards ’26, Annelise Fisher ’26, and Alma Russell ’26 are stars, and the paper would not have been as beautiful or complete without their artwork each week. I am so excited to pass my role as Design Editor on to El and Annelise. Their artistic and InDesign prowess surely surpasses mine and I cannot wait to see them shine.
Ultimately, I joined the Independent to create artwork, but I stayed for the people. The connections I made and the friendships I forged with people I would not have otherwise met through the Indy are so special to me. I am thankful for each member and wish all of you the best as you embark on your Indy journey.
Indylove,
Piper Tingleaf ’24