To the WSU Vancouver community,
After such a difficult year, we have each endured different hardships, and all of our lives have been turned upside down by the COVID-19 pandemic. We’ve had to make necessary sacrifices to maintain and protect the health and safety of our loved ones, friends, acquaintances and other community members around us. After working with The VanCougar for over two years as a reporter, and copy editor, I’ve had the privilege of sharing your stories, and recording major events to educate and inform the public of news happening in and around campus. I have learned so much from experiencing the rush and importance of reporting during such a challenging time, and I feel this experience has caused me to grow as a person, while also allowing me to assume the role as your managing editor during this upcoming academic year.
I am currently a WSU Vancouver student pursuing an English degree with a fine arts minor, but as an individual who also represents the face of The VanCougar Newsmagazine, alongside our editor-in-chief, Emily Baumann, I want to share with you that we are here to uphold the pivotal responsibilities of a transparent news organization with the highest journalistic values and standards.
As we all step into a new state of life while the pandemic continues, transitioning to in-person instruction at WSU Vancouver will impact each of us uniquely. I believe the most important thing to remember is that we need to care for one another as much as we can to protect and preserve the physical and mental health of everyone on campus.
Therefore, this year should not be about self-interest, but rather about making decisions with the thought of others in mind. Consider the people sitting next to you in your classes as we return, they may have lost someone closest to them, or had to endure their own distinctive traumas over the past year and a half. Remember to connect with those around you empathetically, and think about their safety as you not only protect yourself by exercising imperative health precautions, but also safeguarding the well-being of your fellow students, staff and faculty members. It is absolutely crucial that all of us work together to build a better future moving forward.
Additionally, I encourage everyone to give us constructive feedback on our articles, and even submit stories yourselves by sending op-ed pieces and letters to the editor as the year goes on. We, and your fellow WSU Vancouver community members, want to hear your extraordinary voices and narratives. Also, never hesitate to email me personally at van.vc.manager@wsu.edu with any comments, questions or concerns as it pertains to our organization and affairs happening around campus.
I sincerely look forward to serving you as managing editor of The VanCougar Newsmagazine, and I cannot wait to see what this year has in store for us all.
Go VanCougs!
Best regards,
2021/2022 Managing Editor
Olivia Eldredge
Olivia is a senior studying English at WSU Vancouver.