Letter From the Editor Fall 2024

This letter was originally published by Align Magazine.

Dear Align Readers,

During the winter term of my freshman year, I decided to apply to Align as a writer. It was the first club that popped up on the A-Z list and seemed quasi-interesting. Over time, Align has become what I rave to my friends about, where I pour my time, and the best creative outlet ever. I never thought I’d be writing this letter to all of you. As much as I may have wished, I did not expect that I was actually going to be in this position. But here I am—eternally grateful…and proud of everyone I’ve had the privilege to work with. 

Align has been a huge part of my college career, and I’ve met the most passionate and determined creatives. I want to extend a big thank you to everyone who has worked for Align; our members never cease to amaze me. 

I also want to thank Align’s editorial team, both past and present. To those who have recently graduated, you are immensely missed! And a special thank you to our former Editor, Ainsley, for trusting me with your baby. I promise to take good care of it. To my current editors, I couldn’t have asked for a more capable and committed team. Thank you Stella, Eliot, and Mia for being my right-hand women and for all that you do.

This term, Align celebrated many firsts. Foremost, I’m happy to introduce the first faculty advisor we have ever had, Kym Rohman. Thank you, Kym, for the support and guidance so far. We can’t wait to keep working together. 

I’m also excited to say that we’ve set new records for the number of applications and members. Our digital and editorial teams are larger than ever before.

We hosted our first-ever sponsored events: a DepopxAlign clothing swap and a CelciusxAlign headshot event. Thank you to everyone who came to these events and to Mia for organizing them. 

I’d also like to mention the latest addition to Align’s frontier, our podcast. Season one, episode one launches in the first week of winter term. Keep an eye out! 

That brings me to this term’s issue. The New Frontier acknowledges that without understanding the past, we can’t fully discuss the present or future. This fall, our writing, illustrations, photoshoots, and digital content boldly aimed to reclaim the past, explore uncharted territories, and embrace new beginnings. These pages ask and answer even more than: What is the new frontier? What does it look like? Where is it? What does it mean to conquer a part of the new frontier? 

Sincerely with love and hope you enjoy,

Sydney Seymour