“This is going to sound creepy, but I’ve been totally planning on stalking you so I could convince you to write a food column for the Chimes. So, will you?”

Those were the words of Elizabeth Sallie, editor-in-chief of the Chimes my freshman year, that marked the beginning of my career at the Chimes. Sallie, as we referred to her affectionately and as The Associated Press Stylebook demands I call her after first reference, fearlessly led the Chimes for two years. She knew all, which explains how she knew about a freshman journalism major who had attended culinary school she could shanghai into becoming part of the Chimes.

A NEW BEGINNING

I stepped onto campus two years ago as a not-so-wide-eyed 21 year old — not the typical college freshman. Unlike most freshman, I already had a degree under my belt, had pursued and redirected a career path and lived on my own. However, like most freshman, I thought ambitiously about the next four years and the things I would accomplish. I dreamed of becoming editor-in-chief of the paper, but wondered if that was even possible. After all, my sole frame of reference for college journalism stemmed from repeated, slightly obsessive viewings of the Gilmore Girls series.

With the guidance and the examples set by Sallie and my other predecessor, Heather Leith, I grew and challenged myself as a writer through the food column, news and features articles, and then as news apprentice and editor. Sallie’s words that evening started me on a winding path full of dedication, uncertainty and triumphs. This personal yellow brick road led me to where I am now, sitting in the Chimes office and writing this letter to you, dear readers.

As I begin my third year at Biola and with the Chimes, I have learned even more about myself and the people around me. I laugh at my naivete in thinking college would be easy — if it was not difficult and challenging, it would not be worth the arm and a leg that is our tuition. The difficult part lies not only in the classes, but the period of life it represents, regardless of our age when we enter it.

THE TIME IS NOW

College should stretch each and every person on this campus, help them face the things that make them nervous or unsure, and send them out into the world as a more intelligent, thoughtful person. I hope the Chimes helps you do this. If my staff and I do our jobs well, the print and online pages will hold informative and discussion-provoking articles. From campus news to national events, from a review of an album you have never heard of to an opinions article that leads you to question something you believe, the Chimes serves as a place for the student body to stretch their legs and cultivate their minds. We will never tell you what to think, but rather what to think about and ways to begin that journey.

Now is the time to question everything — what our parents and pastors told us, what society expects of us, and who we want to be. If, after seeking and demanding new answers, we find ourselves satisfied with the old ones, so be it, but at least we had the drive to discover for ourselves that those were the right answers. However, if we come back from our expeditions a little battered but carrying precious gems of new realizations and changed perceptions, we will carry on, grateful we had the courage to look.

I cannot promise the Chimes will never make you uncomfortable, nor will it always tell you what you want to hear. That being said, it is my goal and deepest desire to ensure that the Chimes speaks nothing but the truth. The good and true does not always arrive in beautiful little packages. The messy bits of life need just as much attention, if not more, than the neat and tidy parts. My job demands that I shed light on both the neat and the messy, and I promise to do so unhesitantly with a heart that cares deeply for this community and the people in it. I look forward to joining you in your journey through this year at Biola via the words, pictures and videos produced by the Chimes.