This letter was originally published in Vol. 34, Issue 5 (February 2024)
Greetings VanCougs!
My name is Midori Davis, and I am pleased to serve as the new editor-in-chief of The VanCougar Newsmagazine for the spring. For the past two semesters I was the managing editor, and before that I worked in various roles at the Clark Indy student newspaper at Clark College.
Student organizations and clubs on this campus have faced significant budget cuts as a consequence of low enrollment, and The VanCougar is one of them. Decreased funding affects every part of our operations, from hiring staff to maintaining our monthly print issues. As an enthusiastic student journalist and student at WSU Vancouver, I strongly urge the university to consider the value of local, independent journalism and recognize its significance in keeping students informed and amplifying voices in our community.
My goal as editor-in-chief is to overcome the limits of our budget and hire more staff, especially reporters, as they are the foundation of journalism and what we deliver to our campus and its students. I hope that as we expand our team, we will take on a greater variety of stories here on campus, while striving, as always, to report them at the highest journalistic standard.
The VanCougar would not exist without you, the readers, and we welcome you to reach out to us at van.vc.editor@wsu.edu or in-person at our office on the north side of the Dengerink Administration Building. Questions, comments and local stories are always welcome!
Go Cougs!
2024 Editor-in-Chief
Midori Davis