"Are you sad your TV show ended?" read the subject line of an email I received last week.
"Of course!" I thought to myself.
I'm also sad when a book that I love ends. According to Dr. Tabatha Greene, a psychologist at Advocate Health Care, it's common for people to feel a strong sense of identity with or connection to characters.
"Humans are wired for connection," Greene said in the emailed article. "Books or movies can fulfill that need to some extent."
I would say personal essays can fulfill that need, too - which is why I'm sad to see the contributing columnists who are leaving us go.
Our "retiring" writers are Jade Cook, Kevin Cook (no relation) and Bill Barre, along with student writers Katie Hughes and Leah Packer. Most of the group has written columns for the past two years for us. Katie Hughes, who graduated from the University of Georgia in May, also wrote for two years while she was in high school.
I am grateful for all of the stories they've shared, whether filled with insight or humor or both. Even though I don't know them very well, I feel like I am losing a group of friends.
But, as one of my favorite quotes reminds me, "The world is round and the place that seems like the end may also be only the beginning." And so, as I bid farewell to our departing columnists, I also welcome a batch of new writers to the fold.
I'm pleased to announce that three individuals whose names might be familiar to you - Peter Celauro, Gabriela Garcia and Lex Silberberg - have agreed to another stint as a contributing columnist after writing for us in the past.
Brand-new to the writing pool are two Hinsdale students. As was the case last year, we are fortunate to have one writer who is in high school and one who is in college.
Milan Bansal is a freshman at Hinsdale Central. He wrote an insightful piece called "Seasons of my youth" for his application and shared the following with me.
"I'm a freshman at Hinsdale Central, so a bit younger, but I'm a unique kid and I think I could do a pretty great job representing a unique perspective and maybe represent a new demographic - Hinsdale student-athlete and a teenage boy - a spot of diversity!"
Our second student writer is Bhavana Dronamraju, a 20-year-old who attends Indiana University. She mentioned the desire to connect in her application.
"I want to write a column for The Hinsdalean because it offers me the opportunity to share my thoughts and experiences in a way that resonates with others," she wrote. "My background in journalism during high school has provided me with a strong foundation, and writing serves as a creative outlet where I can explore my imagination and storytelling skills.
"This process not only helps me reflect on my own beliefs, values, and experiences but also allows me to connect with readers on a deeper level."
Finally, two columnists who wrote last year are starting their second tours this month. Kelly Abate's first column appears in today's paper (you'll see her on the facing page) and Carissa Kapcar's column will run next week.
All of us at The Hinsdalean are so grateful to have this talented group of writers who are willing to share their work with us. Cheers to another year of great columns!
- Pamela Lannom is editor of The Hinsdalean. Readers can email her at [email protected].
