From the moment that I was accepted into The Cavalier Daily, it was my pride and joy. If no one knew anything else about me, they would know that I wrote and later edited for the student newspaper.
I joined The Cavalier Daily’s Opinion desk in the spring semester of my first year. Writing for a student newspaper gave me the opportunity to be part of something bigger than myself. With every article that was published under my name, I felt more and more connected to the University. In researching topics, I learned about student self-governance and the University's histories, displayed in places like the Memorial to Enslaved Laborers. Writing offered me a way to know, critique and celebrate Grounds, and in doing so, I gradually felt less like a stranger here.
Soon, I found myself editing as a Senior Associate Opinion Editor, and then later as an Opinion Editor. When I first joined The Cavalier Daily, I thought of editors as supervisors with red pens, and when I first started, that was more or less what the editing looked like — after the first round of edits, I never saw my pieces until they were published. There was almost no training for new writers, much less consistent section meetings.
Yet, what my brilliant co-editor, Grace Duregger, and I strived to do was to strengthen writers’ argumentative skills, allow more creative freedom and create a community within the section.
Through a lot of brainstorming with our wonderful Executive Editor, Nate Onibudo, Grace and I implemented more structures for writers to think critically about their topics and arguments. While not every awkward Opinion meeting worked like a charm, I have never been so proud of my work. In being an editor, I got to learn how to help others grow in their writing, editing and even leadership skills.
And most importantly, it all made me so happy — from figuring out what the best methods were for content production, to mulling over how to best salvage a weak argument or debating an outline with the Editorial Board. My friends will testify that I spent far too many movie nights editing pieces. But I wanted to do all of this. Because underneath all of the administrative tasks and staring into space at Junior Board meetings, I got to be a part of people’s growth. I saw weaker writers grow into full-fledged columnists. I saw first-year writers come out of their shells with every bad joke that I told at our meetings. I saw people get excited about having a platform to vocalize their frustrations. This process was not only rewarding to me as an editor, but it was consequential for journalism as a whole — in supporting new voices, I knew that I was playing a part in changing the newspaper for the better.
Then, the process happened all over again in another publication. I was encouraged to apply to The Virginia Black Review in the spring of my third year. Needless to say, VBR is very different from The Cavalier Daily in that it is a creative literary magazine staffed entirely by Black students. Yet, I had the same feeling — perhaps even amplified — the first time one of my poems got published. VBR had a creative, cultural element that made me immediately feel at home. I was again a part of something bigger than myself — a magazine created to fill a void left by the lack of Black literary publications on Grounds, offering space for Black students to be unapologetically creative on their own terms.
Just like in The Cavalier Daily, it was not long before I was an editor — this time, I was the Editor-in-Chief. I took everything that I knew from The Cavalier Daily and I poured it into VBR. Now almost a year since I was elected EIC, VBR has more members, a bigger readership and three magazines under its belt — and I am so proud to be a part of that growth. In VBR, I found a different yet familiar feeling of pride — I was still editing and leading others, but I was doing so in a Black, creative space tied only to its own mission of celebrating art and uplifting voices.
So, when I graduate in May, I will not just be leaving behind one pride and joy — but two. Despite beliefs to the contrary, The Cavalier Daily is an actual newspaper with actual influence, and I am not only proud to be a part of it at its best but also I am proud to critique it at its worst. Likewise, I was proud to be part of VBR when it simply functioned as an online magazine, and I am even more proud to be leaving it now as a printed publication, a vessel for advocacy and family.
While I began my journalism journey at the University as a staff writer, I will end it as an Editor-in-Chief. In that journey, I have seen what student journalism can do — it can highlight the marginalized, influence the majority and spark conversations. But even more so, it can cause growth, and I hope to continue helping people grow toward their full potential through journalism. So to both the present and future members of The Cavalier Daily and The Virginia Black Review, thank you for helping me realize my own potential over these four years and grow as a writer, an editor and a leader.
Take care,
Shaleah Tolliver
Shaleah Tolliver was an Opinion Editor for the 134th term of The Cavalier Daily, a senior associate opinion editor for the 133rd term and an opinion columnist for the 132nd term.
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