Letter from the Editor 09.18.2019

Today I went to my English seminar on the 6th floor of Van Pelt, the seminar room with the great view of the Philadelphia skyline. The French doors were thrown open and a breeze pushed into the classroom. The doors were open because the room had been freezing, but as I sat right in front of them, I just felt invigorated by that first brush with fall, a sunny day with perfect weather and a beautiful view. Despite the fact that I had a midterm afterwards and felt criminally underprepared, the breeze felt so amazing that I almost forgot the sleepless night before and the stressful day ahead. 

And then I went to the windowless DP office to put this issue together. 

Sometimes I'm tempted to think about my job at Street as giving something up — my Tuesday nights (which could otherwise be spent watching half–priced movies at the Rave), my free time (which could otherwise be spent lying in my bed while watching Netflix or doing homework), my sunlight exposure (okay, that possible deficiency is a legitimate concern). 

But my coworkers and I do this not because it’s an easy win or constant fun but because we love it and it feels important, because we care about each other and we care about reporting the truth, even when it gets tiring and the weeks start to blur together and you have writer's block and eking out a letter from the editor feels Sisyphean. 

On some level, I do it because I’ve never known a Penn without Street. And even as, this semester, I work to balance my life, get outside, cook dinner, etc., as I begin to detach from Street and hand over the reins, I’ll never stop feeling proud of the work we do—even if it means I’m sunlight–deprived for a little bit longer.