To the Lafayette community,
This past year was dense with history. We endured—and are enduring—a global pandemic. We witnessed a historical battle for the presidency, one whose echoes will be heard on campus and in the world for years to come. We saw an eruption of activism and protest against forces of oppression, spurred by the rampant killings of Black people by police and the emboldened voices of victims of sexual assault. At Lafayette, we saw campus grow and shrink, with the opening of McCartney and the closing of the entire college last spring. And there was no shortage of controversy on campus, either.
As I close out my final year as editor-in-chief, I find myself continually fixated on narratives. The fundamental job of the news is to create narratives from the chaos of real life. Choosing which narratives to focus on in a world dense with information is what gives a newspaper its flavor. And this year, more than any other year, we tried to center narratives of justice, amidst the other drama and intrigue that unfolded throughout the semester. I hope this trend will continue and strengthen.
I would like to introduce the women who will be running The Lafayette next year. At the helm will be editor-in-chief Lucie Lagodich, who will be taking over from her role as news editor. Lucie is an inveterate news junkie, an excellent reporter, and a genuinely kind and passionate person. At her side will be Katie Frost, the current arts and culture editor, and Deanna Hanchuk, a current design director. Katie is organized, precise, and creative, and has brought so many new and interesting ideas to her section. Deanna is hyper-competent, hyper-involved, and is good at everything she does. And finally, Hayden Fisher, our insomniac genius design director, will continue to make the paper beautiful.
On the editorial staff, Nathan Kornfeind will be progressing from assistant news editor to news editor, and Shirley Liu will make a similar move from assistant arts and culture editor. In sports, the dynamic duo of Craig Barbaro and Caroline McParland will continue their tenure as co-editors. I have the utmost confidence in every single one of them, and you as community members should too.
As we close out a year of uncertainty, I leave you with one certain fact: The Lafayette will continue to be a reliable and relevant source of information and entertainment on campus. I encourage you to continue supporting it, if only by reading a story or two every week.
Sincerely,
Ben Fuller