I like to joke that I entered college with a major in English because I wanted some book recommendations. As it turns out, I ended up adding a second major as a sophomore in journalism, which I suppose must be because I love having conversations.
The issue of The Leader you’re reading from now is the culmination of months of conversations between members of the staff, conversations with SUNY Fredonia students and faculty, and conversations held in dimly lit bars or on bridges that no longer exist. At every point along the way, one principle has guided these conversations: how do you make something better? Hopefully, with this issue, a little bit of the answer has been revealed.
The issue of The Leader you’re reading from now is defined by what’s changed, in a number of different ways. There’s an almost entirely new masthead, united by a new vision and a new (or in some cases rejuvenated) drive to succeed. There are new quirks and quarks that our most dedicated readers will have undoubtedly already caught. And then there’s all the stuff that we fill the paper with, also known as the news.
The issue of The Leader you’re reading from now also owes its existence to what has stayed the same. Simply put, there is no way I could possibly thank my predecessors enough for what they have contributed to this paper, and it’s an honor to be the next in line. In the past, The Leader has stood for professional, responsible and ethical coverage of everything a Fredonia student needs to know. That commitment is as strong now as it ever was.
The issue of The Leader you’re reading from now is the first in a series of 28 by this staff, a group of people who have enthusiastically jumped out of the post-summer doldrums and gave up hour after hour of syllabus week to ensure you’d be reading these very words right now. They’re the lifeblood of this entire enterprise, and they already deserve all the thanks in the world. It’s a cliché to say that blood, sweat and tears went into something you worked hard on, but after spending a summer looking at newspapers every day, I’m pretty sure that’s what they’re printed with after all.
Those of you who are at Fredonia for the first time, I’m glad that we can embark on this journey together. And for those of you who have been around for a while, I hope you’ll find a better, weirder and bolder paper, of which is more thought-provoking, entertaining and engaging than ever before. Welcome to a new year at Fredonia, and a new year to follow The Leader.