“August” by Taylor Swift plays in the background in the bustle of another one of our golden layout days. In Co-Editor-in-Chief Sariah Hossain’s (‘22) eyes, this after-school work period before each Tower print issue release is more than just putting finishing touches on final drafts or graphics—she loves it because it is an opportunity to genuinely connect and hang out with her Tower family. “There’s magic in layout nights,” she wrote in her final Editor-in-Chief letter. 

I remember meeting Sariah on the first day of Journalism class in my freshman year. A lost, new student intimidated by the class size, I felt unnerved to even ask for an extra seat as a result of my brief tardiness. But she saw me. Her seemingly small act of kindness of pulling up a chair introduced me to the bubbly, caring, and thoughtful person that I’ve come to deeply appreciate for her presence within and dedication to our staff. “The Tower has always been an end goal for me [since] middle school,” Sariah told me. “I would always pick up the issues, show them to my parents, and be like, ‘I’m going to do this when I’m older.’” Writing for the publication has always felt like the pinnacle of being a good writer at Bishop’s, she expressed—especially when her relationship with writing is so special. 

“Writing is my entire identity,” she explained. “It’s how I view the world.” Whether it’s in her diary or the Notes App, Sariah is always writing and processing her feelings through these meaningful acts. The Tower became the perfect medium for her to combine her love of telling stories and asking questions about the world around her. And when the opportunity came for her to apply for an editorship, she took it without a second thought—thus she became our publication’s two-year online editor and one of our current Editor-in-Chiefs with Clare Malhotra (‘22). “The question of why I stayed on staff seems almost silly to ask myself,” Sariah laughed. “Of course I stayed.” 

Sariah is not only admired for her personal achievements on The Tower but also for being a part of so many other writers’ journeys. Everyone looks to her for guidance. Isadora Blatt (‘24) reminisced about her first year on staff as a freshman: “When Sariah was a junior, she jokingly reflected that she never talked in Journalism class her whole first year—as a shy and quiet freshman myself, it was really comforting to hear her say this while seeing her successes.” Besides inspiring underclassmen who looked up to her, she is also known for her enthusiastic supportiveness no matter the situation. For example, Summer Hu (‘25) remembered a time during this year’s Regional Student Diversity Summit (RSDS) conference when she and Sariah were both in attendance. After asking a journalism question to one of the guest speakers present, Summer recalled Sariah telling those around her, “I know her! She’s my staff writer.” Summer added, “Also, every time she says hi to me in the halls, my day is ten times better. I could not ask for any better Editor-in-Chief to guide me through my first year.”

When asked about what their favorite memory with Sariah was, the staff recounted some pretty funny moments. “She has always been very passionate about ice hockey which is something we all take advantage of when we want to make fun of her (we love you Sariah!)” Sydney Chan (‘24) chuckled. “During the last layout meeting of the year, she told us all to be quiet because of the puck drop!” Bella Gallus (‘24) also noted Sariah’s hockey obsession: “My favorite memories about her are honestly every time someone picks on her about something related to Canada and she hits back,” referring to the popularized Tower inside joke about yelling ‘Go Lightning!’ every time Sariah walks through the door. The Tampa Bay Lightning team beat Sariah’s Maple Leafs 4-3 on May 14 in the National Hockey League (NHL). Tragic.

I can’t help but agree with everything our staff gushes about Sariah. She’s hilarious. Besides being my friend, editor, and role model, she was also my changing of the guard partner this year. In my experience, a conversation with Sariah has always felt like a safe place—I often find myself identifying with her literary journey, even enjoying the same authors and works. “I think you know [which literary role model] I’m going to say,” she paused, smiling, waiting for me to fill in the blank. Ever since we first shifted to online school, Joan Didion and her literary legacy have always been a part of Tower discussions. “I fell in love with Didion through The Tower when we read like fifty billion of her essays and discussed them forever.” Intrigued by Didion’s transition from journalistic writing to personal memoir, Sariah often felt like Didion’s words knew her.

Sariah’s in-depth and introspective perception of great literature contributed to her coherent understanding of journalistic standards and responsibility. She is proud of how well we’ve handled ourselves this year as a publication built upon a premise of ethical validity—responding to campus controversies promptly and chronicling the truth objectively. “I think we responded to difficult situations really thoughtfully this year,” Sariah reflected. “I take a lot of pride in our journalistic ethics, and that was always my biggest thing as an Editor-in-Chief… I’m really happy with where we stand as a paper.” 

But alas, when has time not flown by? When asked about how she would like to be remembered, her first instinct was to emphasize who she wanted to be remembered by. “I think about the impact that Amy Carlyle (‘20), Carly Phoon (‘20), Daniel White (‘21), and Lucie Edwards (‘21) left on me, as they all so heavily influenced how I conduct myself as a journalist and how much I love being on The Tower,” she said. “So I want you guys to think back on this year, about mine and Clare’s tenure, and just remember us really fondly. I’d love for you guys to miss us.” Without a doubt, the teary-eyed Tower sends their best to all leaving editors—your legacy will forever be remembered.

Having been on staff for all four of her high school years, Sariah blessed The Tower with her lovable laugh and beautiful prose. Whether it is helping out during golden layout nights or calmly responding to Spencer’s jokes about ‘Go Lightning,’ in all seriousness, in our hearts, there is always one team that we cheer for here in The Tower—Go Sariah!