REFINE Issue 4: Letter from the Editor
Photo by Dani Meenan
REFINE READERS —
When Rebekah Harding approached the REFINE team with the theme of “rejection” for our spring issue, I was intrigued. Rejection is multifaceted and something every person has in common. It crosses borders, it translates through languages and cultures, and it occurs throughout various careers. While everyone lives a life unique to them, they’re bound to experience rejection.
We all know this: rejection sucks.
What I didn’t know during winter break was that the theme of rejection would multiply and evolve in front of my own eyes. A time when I should rejoice in my successes and my future endeavors would come to a complete stop and be cloaked in rejection. A feeling that we’ve all had the misfortune of experiencing during our lifetimes made its entrance. When COVID-19 emerged into mass media and slowly—then steadily—disrupted our everyday lives, rejection was all around us. It still is all around us.
I didn’t expect for my last semester at Temple University to be upended. What would have been 16 weeks of laughter, exploring the streets of Philadelphia, and grabbing my diploma in front of thousands of classmates and parents alike was boiled down to half that. I only had the chance to spend eight weeks of my last semester on campus.
I didn’t stroll down Liacouras Walk with a Tai’s bubble tea in hand thinking it would be my last. I didn’t scream with my pals Zoe and Sadie at Maxi’s when we won Quizzo thinking it would be my last. I didn’t log out of my Temple News computer thinking it would be my last.
These “what if” moments are excruciating, especially when you’re self-isolating and alone in your thoughts. Right now, seniors were supposed to look forward to our new adventures, rather than look back on missed opportunities. How can I get myself pumped up for life after graduation, when I can’t help but reminisce about the last time I saw my favorite professors, TTN friends, and Philadelphia staples? My pondering about counterfactuals is damning: first, it makes me question my actions that I was once so confident about; second, it disconnects me from reality. I’m not living in the present.
It’s not just me—thousands of seniors at Temple and millions of others across the globe are experiencing the same thing. REFINE’s treasurer Jaycie Hricak even wrote about her thoughts on Temple moving to online for the rest of the semester. It’s not just seniors, either. Millions and millions of people have had their lives completely changed—whether it be healthcare workers who are exhausted from 36+ hour shifts and contracting COVID-19 from helping others, or small business owners that haven’t had a single transaction in weeks and will soon have to declare bankruptcy.
The arts and sciences are suffering, too. Museums, cultural centers, and nonprofits are losing grants and funding due to economic downfall. Students and creators alike are afraid to pursue their passions in the arts, as there will be a lack in income. We fear to depend on creativity for careers. Even Philadelphia’s Zero Waste and Litter Cabinet, where I interned in Summer 2018 and grew so much, was abolished by Mayor Kenney after budget cuts.
In April, 20+ million Americans lost their jobs. Of that, copious amounts of graduating seniors have lost job offers or opportunities in their specific fields. Unfortunately, I am one of those seniors. Since February, I was preparing to transition into an editor position at a magazine. Two weeks before graduation, I found out that I’d no longer be onboarded due to a hiring freeze and uncertainty in the mag’s revenue.
I completely understood this decision. There was nothing I could do. But, what pained me as I sobbed on my bed while declaring the world was “out to get me,” was that my plans and preparations were pushed to the side. Yes, the loss of a job and income was hard. However, dealing with my hurt pride and no longer being able to call Philadelphia my future home was harder. I spent hours daydreaming about the summer… I’d be a magazine boss out on the town, with endless foodie adventures and professional opportunities.
I’ve spent weeks in solitude thinking about the “what ifs.” As I completed final read-throughs of REFINE’s spring issue and received congratulations after congratulations on my graduation day, I knew I needed to stop. It wasn’t healthy, it wasn’t fair, and it wasn’t productive to doubt myself. My anxiety about my job “rejection” and the future was through the roof. No more could I do this.
I will now spend however many days until our society has recovered from the pandemic thinking about “what’s next.” As my mom tells me every morning (well, it’s morning to me, but it’s probably noon), take each day as it comes. And this sage advice translates across all forms of rejection, not just the ones presented by COVID-19.
What I thought was a vague and simple term actually makes us all more alike. Rejection allows us to think, grow, and move on. Following the motto of Temple alumna Shefa Ahsan, the founder of Reframing Rejection, we should turn rejection into motivation. REFINE’s Rejection Issue uncovers the stereotypes, emotions, and expectations of denials and heartache, and shows us how to breathe again.
I’m not saying this transition is going to be easy. There will be some ups and downs, no doubt. But with a little bit of hope and perseverance, we can go a long way.
Readers, I hope you enjoy this web issue of REFINE’s spring issue. It isn’t our traditional style of a flip-through magazine, but we made it as fun and accessible as possible. Feel free to jam to our Overcoming Rejection playlist while you browse through our stories, too. It can be found at the bottom of the landing page.
While this is my last editor’s letter for REFINE Magazine, I’m content with closing this chapter of my life. During my time as editor-in-chief, my team produced dozens of blog entries detailing student experiences. Ariana dos Santos typed away at home, reviewing books on her reading list and curating recommendations. Hafeezat Bishi detailed the downfalls of workaholism and its impacts on students of color. Gabby Houck showed us how to incorporate lingerie into everyday looks and introduced us to Carly Shoffstall, a businesswoman who sells handcrafted mugs with labia art.
Our 90-page Sustainability Issue was a hit, even receiving the Society of Professional Journalist’s 2019 National Mark of Excellence Award for best student magazine. And though our newest issue just launched, I know it’ll inspire and reinvigorate our readers and student leaders.
As I pass the torch onto our newest senior staff—Rebekah Harding as EIC, Lindsay Bowen as managing editor, and Gabby Houck as senior editor—I know the future of REFINE is in good hands. Support student and local journalism, and most importantly, support yourself.