At the end of every academic year, the Chronicle invites graduating staff to write a senior column examining their time at 301 Flowers.
Leah Abrams: (Wo)man's search for meaning
"It's crushing that we'll miss those final moments. No Myrtle Beach. No final glance at the Chapel's towering spires" - Leah Abrams, Volume 115 opinion editor
Will Atkinson: Print may be dying, but it isn’t dead
"Why would a student at Duke choose to spend four years dedicating himself to a field whose prospects are seemingly so dim?" - Will Atkinson, Vol. 115 Recess managing editor
Amy Fan: Re-reading first-year me
"Quarantine has forced me to reflect on my Duke experience too much, too soon. That includes reading back on many of my old columns—one of the few constants of my time here." - Amy Fan, columnist
Liddy Grantland: Let it soften you
"When you put up defenses against the discomfort of a broken world, you also cheat yourself out of the opportunity to see its beauty." - Liddy Grantland, columnist
Lexi Kadis: This story has no ending
"I hate endings. Whether or not the good times have outweighed the bad, something about the finality of last moments will always make me cry." - Lexi Kadis, Vol. 114 and Vol. 115 senior editor
Ben Leonard: A safe haven
"After only writing about other people for years, it’s not super comfortable to write about myself, much less about me crying. Here we go." - Ben Leonard, Vol. 114 managing editor
Winston Lindqwister: Hooked on these feelings
"That was when I got it. I still remember the visceral excitement I felt when writing about what I saw, the vicarious emotion that bled through my recording of the postgame interview." - Winston Lindqwister, Vol. 114 sports managing editor
Nathan Luzum: A 115-year-old game of telephone
"It was my pleasure to participate in this game of telephone for four brief years. So ring ring, V. 116—it’s your time to pick up." - Nathan Luzum, Vol. 115 managing editor
Sujal Manohar: My first and last byline
"Though most (read: all) of my contributions to the Chronicle have been photos, I’m glad I had the words to say this." - Sujal Manohar, Vol. 114 photography editor
Michael Model: Much more than just articles
"While I am technically saying goodbye to The Chronicle, this is not the end." - Michael Model, Vol. 114 sports editor, and Vol. 115 digital strategy director
Gino Nuzzolillo: Goodbye from under the magnolia
"In the main field of Duke Gardens, where the gargantuan stick sculpture used to make its home, there’s a grassy slope under the shade of a magnolia tree." - Gino Nuzzolillo, columnist
Riley Pfaff: Fifth grade dreams
"How many young Duke fans get the chance to grow up and sit courtside at a Duke basketball game in Cameron, and then go into the locker room to interview Grayson Allen or Zion Williamson?" - Riley Pfaff, sports writer
Shagun Vashisth: It's all about the climb
"To my Chronicle, thank you for allowing me to cover the Duke community and find one within it, too. Thank you for giving me a home." - Shagun Vashisth, Vol. 114 senior editor
Nina Wilder: May I have your attention, please?
"When I was younger and everything seemed possible, I wanted to be a comedian." - Nina Wilder, Vol. 115 Recess editor
Gretchen Wright: Go sit on the quad
"For hours and hours as I drove north on I-95, I desperately grasped for memories like a child catching fireflies, trying to chase and hold onto as many as possible." - Gretchen Wright, columnist
Get The Chronicle straight to your inbox
Signup for our weekly newsletter. Cancel at any time.