founder's note

In the beginning, there were just two Katies exchanging emails on different continents. I was in DC and Katie Stinchfield ’07 was in Paris, and somehow we managed to communicate all our hopes and ideas for a new campus life magazine that we would call The Continental. Starting a magazine is no easy task- a realization that became evident to me, Stinch, and the staff as we traded free time, sleep and sanity to produce the premiere issue of The Continental. With each subsequent issue, we have worked out the kinks in the system and learned a lot along the way about the role of campus media, and the challenges and benefits of a diverse readership.

After spending countless hours working on the magazine, one of the hardest things about running the magazine is hearing negative feedback about The Continental. Every one-liner in Thumbs Up/Thumbs Down, every issue of The Duel Colonial and The Hessian, and every overheard comment used to drive me crazy. I couldn’t understand how our fellow students could attack their peers’ work, and have no regard for the people who had worked so hard to pull together the magazine.

I can’t remember the exact moment when I realized that this criticism was really much-needed feedback, but over the course of the last two years I have learned to see it as such. Every comment now brings us one step closer to understanding what readers want to see in the magazine. Every satirical issue of The Duel Colonial shows us where we pushed too many buttons, or where we fell short. Every bit of feedback has influenced some aspect of the magazine’s development, and for that, I am grateful.

Throughout this experience, our editorial board has learned a lot about the Hamilton community. We’ve discovered that it is too easy to rely on the stereotypes of “darksider” or “lightsider.” We’ve found that students want to see as many groups as possible featured in the magazine because they want their Hamilton experience to be captured in the pages of student publications. We’ve learned that horses and photo shoots aren’t a good mix. We learned to survive on advertising dollars. We’ve figured out ways to please as many readers as possible, without losing the uniqueness of the magazine. And in the process, we’ve found a balance—offering everything from hard news stories to advice on what to wear to a tailgate.

I could not be more proud of The Continental’s editorial board and staff because they continually push themselves to outdo the last issue. From our first issue to this 100-page issue, every one has worked hard to improve the content and design of the magazine. Additionally, this year we launched a great website—contmag.com—which allows readers to comment and be more involved in the magazine.

My greatest accomplishment at Hamilton has been the magazine that you hold in your hands. Although it is still in its infancy, I have high hopes for the future of The Continental and look forward to seeing how the magazine develops in the next few years.

-katie childs '08