Volume 3, Issue 1 (2020)

The Mississippi University for Women has provided unbelievable experiences for me, and Merge has not been an exception. Over this year, I have worked jointly with Merge and the Office of Undergraduate Research, and these projects have connected me more to this university more than I had been for my previous two years. Did I fear the amount of work I was taking on? Yes, however, I have learned that I like creating something that I am proud of. Did I think I was going to fail? Yes, but it is completely natural to have those thoughts, but you can never let them harm your progress. I’m thankful for the opportunities I have been graced with over the past year and I am sad to let this go. When I first talked to Dr. Whitehead, I made it clear that I wanted to make this my own, moving away from past boundaries and overall, be the overly-extra person I am. As my family, friends, and professors can attest to, I can be very driven when trying to accomplish a task. I apologize to those individuals that I have bothered, but you have all become part of this journey. I would like to thank Dr. Whitehead and the Ida E. Gordy Honors College for providing me this opportunity, the student editors and faculty reviewers that I bothered consistently, and those students who submitted to Merge after I convinced them it was not as scary as they believed. Overall, I hope I have grown Merge and left it in a better place.

Lauren Harmon

Managing Editor, 2018-19