By Lauren Ofman and Grace Eberts
GWL Family,
I cannot believe that this is the last article I will be writing for The GW Local. Over the past three years our team has grown from 6 to over 20, our viewership has skyrocketed to over 1,000 views per week, and our content has expanded from simply on campus coverage to relevant, unique and exciting news and opinions that have captivated our readers. When I founded The Local, I really didn’t think it would outlive my time at GW. I am so eternally grateful to my incredible team who shared my vision and are enthusiastic about continuing this blog, which has grown to become a ubiquitous part of GW culture.
I’ve learned so much about myself, about being a leader and about being a storyteller in our current moment in time. It is and has always been important to uplift and motivate each other to share our stories, to understand each other and what makes us feel passionate, to stay educated and mindful of the privilege we possess and how we can better understand others. Our team at The Local has dedicated time and energy to highlighting voices and issues that help us become more informed and motivated to enact positive change.
I am a firm believer that storytelling doesn’t need to follow AP Style. It should not be confined to one medium or format or publication. Everyone at The Local, from our regular writers to guests who submit their own work tell stories differently. It’s important that we embrace our unique flare when we share stories. Whether it’s food, fashion, politics, culture, etc. we must stay authentic and proud of what we bring to the table. I am so excited for the new Editor-in-Chief, Grace Eberts to shine in this position. She, along with her talented and vibrant e-board, will continue to share the content you love and keep the culture of The GW Local alive. No matter where I am, I will tune in every Thursday to read the newest articles. I look back on my time at The Local with great pride and I cannot wait to see what the future holds for this organization.
Sincerely,
Lauren Ofman
Editor-in-Chief (2019-2022)
Dear readers of the GWL,
In the Spring of my sophomore year of highschool, I started an Instagram blog: @gracefulplatefuls. After years of following along with my favorite health and lifestyle bloggers, I decided to make my own platform. It was a small Instagram community of 300ish people who followed me as I made fancy pancake stacks and elaborate oatmeal bowls. Mostly my friends from school, people I met at summer dance programs, and my extended family made up this small following. Nonetheless, I wrote every caption like thousands of people around the world were reading my work, and I loved every second of it. I didn’t care how many people read my Instagram blog, it was about creating a space where I could share my insights and opinions about what was happening in my kitchen. It was a silly little thing, but each post still brought me so much joy as I found ways to use my writing to speak about food in ways that people didn’t expect. I always hoped that @gracefulplatefuls would grant me access to a community of writers who recognized blogging as a way to explore the world around us, even if it was the mundane things like our daily yogurt bowls. My blog quickly dissipated by senior year, but my passion for narrating life, and every little detail that I felt was worth sharing, never left.
Blogging, but more importantly the storytelling that we do through blogging, is a tool to discover and explore parts of life that we pass through everyday without any thought. The Local takes a different look at GW, beyond the big headlines and flashy hard news. It is a chance to learn about the ins and outs of our little world here in Foggy Bottom from students who are discovering it right alongside the readers. Beyond each edition we publish, the writers of The Local are made up of a team of students who find joy in taking time out of their busy academic schedules to share their stories and perspectives. Each of these individual takes on life at GW gives fresh and valuable insight into how to make the most of your time in DC. This is what I love about The Local and exactly why I am thrilled to be serving as the new Editor in Chief.
I am looking forward to following in the footsteps of Lauren Ofman, the founder and original editor behind The Local. I’m both nervous and excited to take Lauren’s place, but just as each writer contributes from their own unique backgrounds, I hope to be able to use my individual perspective to build on the work that Lauren and many others have accomplished thus far. I want to continue to cultivate a virtual space for people to share the stories and experiences that shape them as students and people, highlighting our community in a way that other publications cannot. With myself included, each writer on our team has their own purpose for writing that has brought them to the Local, and I am proud to lead a team of writers that are committed to uplifting the stories and experiences of students at GW that go untold by traditional news outlets. I’m pretty sure that my highschool Sophomore self would be thrilled to see that I have found my community of writers and storytellers, but I can guarantee that my present-day self is beyond grateful. That being said, I look forward to taking you all through another year of great stories and I will see you all in the Fall!
Sincerely,
Grace Eberts
Editor-in-Chief
