To the CSI Community,

My name is Monica Ahuja, and I am the editor-in-chief at the College of Staten Island’s student-led newspaper, The Banner. First, I would like to say welcome back to those returning to the college for another semester, and to those who are just beginning, I hope you feel welcome and enjoy your time at the college.

In the last few years, many of us have experienced massive changes that have transformed our lives for the better or for the worse. Each of us carry our own stories and with these stories, we color each other’s lives and shape our communities.

As the editor-in-chief of The Banner, I have the opportunity to share the stories that are most important to you and to the CSI Community as a whole. The Banner has given me the opportunity to express my voice and expand my interests for the last two years and I wish to do the same for you. The Banner is a place where every voice is appreciated and where all interests can be explored.

So, I hope that you welcome this opportunity to share your stories and your unique voices with your peers. I will do my best to make sure that they are heard and shared by our community. I may not be perfect, but if there is one thing that I have learned in the last five months, making ice cream cones, it’s this: with patience, practice, and the desire to do your best, it is possible to create a moment of connection between two friends, a family, or even strangers through your work. And that’s what I hope to do for the CSI community: create connections and conversations that help us grow for the better. I hope that you will join us at The Banner and help us see this mission succeed.   

Thank you for your time.

I look forward to reading and hearing your stories.

Take care,

Monica

To join The Banner or to share your story, please email us at the.banner.csi@gmail.com.