Hi VanCougs!
My name is Midori Davis and I am the editor-in-chief of the VanCougar newsmagazine this spring. This is my third semester in this position, and on behalf of our entire team I can say we’re inspired to practice real journalism through a time of much change, both within the WSU system and on a national level.
We are facing an immense political, cultural, and economic shakeup. Everything, from the FAFSA and student loans to the basic rights of students here and elsewhere, is up in the air. Regardless of your beliefs, the reality is that the student experience is changing along with the world. What happens to our public university, for example, if the federal Department of Education is dissolved? We may very well find out.
Our mission as student journalists—to inform the WSU Vancouver community and raise the level of discourse on our campus—remains the same. Accountability in all things matters more than ever when significant changes, seen and unseen, are underway.
This is where you come in: we need to know of your experience. I invite you all to observe your routines at WSU Vancouver this year and note changes. Then, let us know at van.vc.editor@wsu.edu.
Your voices matter.
Go Cougs!
Midori Davis 
From the Managing Editor: an ear that listens
Hi VanCougs!
My name is Mercedes Rowland, and I’m the returning Managing Editor for the VanCougar this spring. My life has changed dramatically since I started working at the VanCougar last spring—in August 2024, I had my first child and made the decision to take the fall semester off.
Taking a break to get used to my new role as a parent was amazing and crucial for my family, but I’m very excited to be back at the VanCougar and at WSU Vancouver.
I and my colleagues here at the VanCougar feel our work is more important than ever. With the ongoing changes on campus and feelings of uncertainty for everyone, it’s our responsibility as journalists to amplify our community’s voices without bias or embellishment.
I encourage everyone who is reading this to use your voice. Recognize the humanity in your peers and show empathy. We try for it in our journalism.
The VanCougar invites our WSU Vancouver community to send letters and commentary to our editors on current issues and concerns, large and small. Please, do not hesitate to reach out to us at van.vc.editor@wsu.edu.
Go Cougs!
Mercedes Rowland 