My career as a columnist for The Belmont Voice almost ended before it began. A little more than a year ago, I was walking through Belmont Center searching for the newspaper’s office. It was 1:50 p.m., and I was 20 minutes late for my scheduled appointment with Editor-in-Chief Jesse Floyd and board member Kevin Sullivan. The paper’s office is tucked away behind A Chocolate Dream on Leonard Street. I was convinced that the office, like my nascent career in journalism, was nothing more than a dream.
When I finally found the right office, Mr. Floyd showed me an edition of The Voice and explained that my role was to “speak for Gen Z, and provide the paper’s readers with the perspective of today’s students.” I nodded, assuring the editorial team that I could handle the task.
Soon after, I realized that I, in fact, had no idea how to speak for Gen Z. Drafting my first column, I felt pressure to write something that all of my peers — the entirety of Generation Z — would agree with. I soon realized that was impossible, and also not the point. What I learned from Mr. Floyd is that if I wrote a column that rang true to me, chances are it would resonate with others.
Put another way, I learned that I had to trust my instincts about what really matters. I suppose that’s a requirement for any newspaper columnist of any generation.
Another thing I learned about journalism is that it’s an exercise in frustration. Most of my time spent writing a column didn’t involve writing at all. I would spend hours staring at a blank Google document, racking my brain for ideas.
Although the words sometimes flowed easily into a 500-word draft, I often found myself paralyzed, waiting for a trickle of inspiration — even a simple introductory sentence. At the time, I viewed those time-consuming sessions as wasted effort. But now, as I sit writing my final column, once again struggling to find the right words, I realize that time spent thinking is an essential part of the writing process. Thinking is writing, and writing is thinking. And so, when I get up from my computer having written exactly zero words, I feel an odd sense of accomplishment, since I’d spent that time thinking about what it means to be a teen in Belmont today.
Being a teenager is complicated. I’m sure it has always been complicated — teens in the 1950s probably had as many obstacles and anxieties as teens today. But being a teenager today carries its own unique complexity related to social media and college admissions, among many other things. And although some might think that Belmont teens have it easy, since we live in a nice town with beautiful houses and great schools, I know firsthand that Belmont teens face the same set of challenges as teens in many other cities.
I hope that, through my column, I’ve given readers some insight into the complexities of being a teen in Belmont. I feel lucky to have been able to share my thoughts over the past year, and I’m eternally grateful for everything I’ve learned from Jesse Floyd and the rest of the Belmont Voice team. I look forward to reading the words of the next Gen Z columnist, and if they need a hand locating The Voice office, I’m here to help.
Siri Iagnemma is a senior at Belmont High School. For the past year, she has written about Gen Z for The Belmont Voice.