The smell of pine on campus means it’s springtime at Tufts. Along with the tiny yellow buds that rear their heads after four long months of icy hibernation, the smell of pine mulch means it’s that time of year we’ve all been waiting for.

Now when we leave Tisch in the evenings, we’re met with a balmy breeze in place of that wintry nighttime chill. The Prez Lawn is speckled with books and blankets, and we can finally get that vitamin D fix we’ve been so desperately craving.

Apart from the sunnier weather and dispositions, though, some things at Tufts have not changed through the seasons. For members of the Observer staff, for instance, late-night layout sessions and staff meetings have predictably punctuated each week. Our staff members have known to expect some unforeseen miscommunication with a writer, or a dreaded ‘conflicting copy’ of an article they’ve painstakingly edited on DropBox on a weekly basis. Perhaps there have been times this year when they’ve wondered how they ever voluntarily gave up so much time to assigning, chasing, editing, designing, and postering for our issues.

But each week, they’ve turned up, even if it has been in a state of post-midterm delirium or in the midst of an internship week from hell. What’s more, our staff members have come back to meetings with more ideas, more inspiration, and more stake in the magazine as the year has progressed.

Our photo director, Knar, left layout one Tuesday after finishing her work around midnight, only to return 30 minutes later with a piping hot pizza box in hand for the remaining staff members to share. (She has since earned the nickname, Food Fairy for her continued contributions of yumminess.) Robert, our news editor, drafted a plan over his spring break to begin a section of the magazine dedicated exclusively to investigative journalism. His ideas launched our first Pro-Publica sponsored endeavor, #ProjectIntern, to investigate unpaid internships at Tufts and around the country. Our creative director, Bernita, once spent two hours scanning balls of yarn for a cover photo idea we ended up abandoning at the last minute.

These are just a few instances where the hard work and dedication of this staff has astounded me—and there are so many more.

I encourage everyone at Tufts to plug in to the communities that make them happy. Whether that be a sports team, a sorority, or a group of people that feel just as strongly as you do about the use of oxford commas (I’m looking at you, Evan), your communities here will constitute the fabric of your college experience.

At the risk of sounding cheesy, I want to say that I feel extremely lucky to have been part of such a bright, interested, and talented community. You guys make the conflicted copies worth it in the end.

To our staff seniors—Anika, Evan, Knar, Justin, and Molly— and to all the members of the senior class graduating next month—this Commencement Issue is for you. We hope you’ll relish these final few weeks at Tufts and the communities that have made your time here worthwhile.

On behalf the Tufts Observer, congratulations, everyone!

Nicola Pardy