Kaitlyn Tsai, FM Chair, 151:
I think I met Kaitlyn through her introspections before I actually met her in real life. Introspection Kaitlyn, like Kaitlyn in real life, is caring, dedicated, and strong in the face of adversity — but real life Kaitlyn is also so much more, and I feel so lucky to be her friend.
For one, Kaitlyn is incredibly driven. Without any set deadline, Kaitlyn took initiative to spend a year reporting and writing her scrut on Harvard’s leave of absence policies. She even withstood resistance from Harvard administration with good cheer (and good memes). Kaitlyn is also a fantastic editor, having incisively and compassionately edited many introspections and other articles.
But beyond her journalism chops, Kaitlyn is also a fantastic friend. Our Monday night EAL meetings were always the highlight of my week, and they wouldn’t have been complete without Kaitlyn’s savage and steadfast support.
And, of course, Kaitlyn is always slaying, whether it be at a cottagecore slut party or writer’s meeting.
I’ll leave it here for now, though there are so many more things I wish I could cram into this note. Thank you so much for your friendship and encouragement this year, Kaitlyn. I am so excited to hand off this job to you and to see all the incredible things you and Hewson will do as chairs next year.
— IYG
Hewson Duffy, FM Chair, 151:
Ever since we were placed in the same Humanities 10 writing lab, I’ve been lucky enough to be in the company of Hewson (middle initial redacted) Duffy ’25, writer, editor, proud Cabotian, visionary, and future chair extraordinaire. These past few years, I have never ceased to be amazed by how kind, astute, and thoughtful Hewson is with everything he does. These are not just the qualities of a good journalist (and that he is) but of a good friend. And Hewson is truly a friend to us all.
The man is also fearless. I remember around this time last year, I was mulling over running for FM chair, talking it through with Io, Kaitlyn, and Michal, brimming with anxiety. As we shared our worries about long hours and unprecedented responsibilities, Hewson — who had only just joined FM — happened to be there and said: “Sounds like fun!”
This year, I secretly hoped that Hewson would still think so. Who else would walk on to a Division I sports team, take a class that assigns a book a week, comp two boards of The Crimson, minor in Computer Science, and do it all just because it’s “fun”? But then again, Hewson became a published author at the age I was still watching “Annoying Orange” on YouTube. And he’s humble too! God.
Jokes aside, I am so excited to see where Hewson takes this magazine. FM may have few men, but I could not be happier that he is one of them. I would wish you luck, Hewson, but I know you won’t need it. Here’s to another year of fun!
— AHL
Io Y. Gilman, FM Chair, 150:
H-Io! Io! My Connections queen, unhinged-themed party thrower, self-proclaimed bitch, and most of all, beloved chair — oh do you contain multitudes. And how I will miss having these multitudes at the helm of FM!
From us bonding over how we can’t pitch weeklies just over a year ago, to you guiding me through my first time editing a scrut, to all our late-night EAL meetings/dish seshs, I’ve felt so lucky to see you grow as a leader and person and to call you a friend. Going into this year, we were filled with nervous excitement over our new roles and new staff, and as I saw how you and AHL worked together, I internally thanked our deliberators for choosing you two as chairs. We were only sophomores with less than a year of exec experience, yet you rose to the occasion — and dare I say, exceeded expectations — with your incisive editing, sharp wit, and unwavering laughter.
Thank you for everything you’ve given to this magazine. All in all, I have big shoes to fill! But man am I glad you’ll still be around next year as I do that.
FMLove,
KT
Amber H. Levis, FM Chair, 150:
Last spring, after Sam, Io, and I began editing a cover story we’d been working on for weeks, Amber looked it over and in a single comment made us rethink the entire article. Her points shook our piece to its foundations, but it was what we needed, and the final draft was so much stronger for it. Amber’s editing is like that — at once seismic and sharpening — and the portfolio of brilliant, well-structured scruts published under her watchful eye in the last year is proof.
An adept cultural critic, Amber once wrote that “The Sad Girl aesthetic does not go out of season, but instead adapts to it.” I’d argue the same is true of the Amber Levis aesthetic: The dyed hair, the warm laughter, the smooth playlists, and the crisp writing have never gone out of style. And where the Sad Girl aesthetic “reeks of complacency,” Amber’s aesthetic has propelled FM to publish week after week of pristine magazine issues — plus stunningly revamped glossies — and have fun while we’re at it. Did I mention that in her pre-chair life Amber wrote the best profile The Crimson has ever published?
So thank you, Amber, for all you’ve done for FM. I struggle to express how much you’ve inspired me and how much we’ll miss your presence at writer’s and exec meetings next semester. I can only hope our pages will be enriched by the beauty of your words once you’re back as a staff writer.
— HD
Yasmeen A. Khan, FM EAL, 151:
You are on top of your shit. There’s no other way to put it — how you’ve managed to pitch and write high-quality stories almost every week on top of cranking out scruts will always be beyond me. From your knack for writing pieces on nuanced, controversial topics to your overall ~slayful~ vibes, you’ve already been an invaluable part of this magazine, and you’ll only become even more cherished by us. I have so much trust in you and your ability to help HD and me manage FM next year; I know you’ll be fantastic, and I can’t wait for the year ahead with you.
FMLove,
KT
Jade Lozada, FM EAL, 151:
You’ve been the perfect comp director and big sister to new writers, the calmest presence at exec meetings, and the biggest learner at the “Eras” movie. I wish I had an ounce of your mysteriousness (unfortunately I talk too much). Thanks for your beautiful writing this past year, your sharp editing, your spirit, and your love. Your cool pants and hats and vibes. Your unbridled brilliance and your unique ability to lead without an iota of ego. I could not imagine a better person to pass the torch to, and I’ll miss Monday nights with you so much. You are so ready.
FMLove,
MG
Kaitlyn Tsai, FM EAL, 150:
Last spring, I wrote an introspection with Kaitlyn as my editor. Daunted by the vulnerability inherent to writing about myself, I changed the topic of the essay thrice before the deadline and sent my draft in just an hour shy of our editing session. Even so, Kaitlyn revised my draft with compassion and grace, asking thoughtful questions that compelled me to look inwards and reevaluate my feelings toward the topic. It was an insightful conversation — one that benefitted me as a writer and as a person.
Across her work as a writer and editor, Kaitlyn prioritizes the people at the heart of every piece. She centers human experiences in her visionary mental health scrut and stunning slate of endpapers. She’s not only interested in the sources behind her stories — she cares deeply about the community that makes up this magazine. She pushes us to grow as journalists, but she also wants us to thrive as people. Through her scrut memes, cooking skills, and impeccable fashion sense, she brings joy to every Monday night meeting, weekend editing session, and snack-filled social. Kaitlyn, it’s been an honor to see you shape this magazine as an EAL, and I’m so excited to see where you’ll take us as chair.
—YAK
Michal Goldstein, FM EAL, 150:
Michal,
I feel we’ve been here before. Sitting at Kaitlyn’s desk just a few days ago, I mulled over your “goodbye” card. It didn’t take me long to articulate what makes you so special: your quick and clever humor, your warmth that fills the room and makes long Mondays fun.
But now I want to add to that list. You have sharp intelligence, a gut instinct for stories that keep up our magazine’s reputation, and a gorgeous writer’s voice. I hope I can channel a fraction of what you have brought to us as EAL.
If you ask me, some people are just made to write (have you considered Substacking while abroad?), and still others are meant to write in community. Thank you for leading ours. But what I am most in awe of, Michal, is not necessarily about writing. It’s that you radiate you.
See you later,
JL
