Senior Hazel Thomas has been a member of the Lincoln Mass Communications program for three years, taking Mass Communications as a sophomore and joining The Cardinal Times for her junior and senior years. Thomas has spent her time on the publication as a reporter, designer and arts & culture editor.
Although she was initially resistant, Thomas was encouraged to join The Cardinal Times class by her parents and friends.
“My parents wanted me to [join the class] freshman year, but for some reason I didn’t want to. Bella Lehmann told me that in Mass Communications you get to go to San Francisco, so that is originally why I joined,” said Thomas. “Now, it’s become my favorite class.”
Throughout her time with the publication, Thomas has created many innovative pieces. She enjoys writing about fun topics and making quizzes, and isn’t afraid to be creative.
“My favorite article [was] probably [during] last year when me and my friend [May Cole] wrote an article on taste testing the Lush face masks. That was a lot of fun and it got a lot of attention.”
Thomas has also written about many more serious topics. Last year, she wrote an article about the non-profit organization Word Is Bond, a support group for young black men in Portland.
“[I] was writing about something that I’m not super familiar with, and it was a good learning opportunity,” said Thomas. “The article was randomly assigned to me, but then it ended up being one of the best pieces I’ve written.”
Thomas will attend the University of Oregon this fall and hopes to study psychology and journalism. She is looking forward to what her future holds and is excited for new beginnings.
“I’ve loved my time at Lincoln, but I’m ready to leave. I’m very eager to go onto new things,” said Thomas. “I want to travel a lot and go to graduate school out of state. I’m really excited to explore careers and writing.”
Senior Mathilda Schmidt is a longtime friend of Thomas and has known the editor since freshman year. Schmidt believes that Thomas’ kindness has made her a close and reliable friend.
“Hazel has always been insanely caring for others,” said Schmidt. “She was one of my first friends at Lincoln, and will always be someone I can turn to. She made me feel at home [at] Lincoln, even when we were online.”
During her time at Lincoln, Thomas has participated in cross country, dance team, Environmental Justice club, peer tutoring, and many community service organizations including Oregon Food Bank and Flock Feast. She believes her experiences taught her important lessons.
“Students should pursue what they’re interested in as an individual, instead of trying to fit a ‘perfect student’ standard. I spent a lot of time trying to do that, and it just didn’t get me very far,” said Thomas. “Individualize yourself and focus on learning things that you care about, instead of trying to have a 4.0 GPA and doing a bunch of different clubs.”
