To the Lafayette community,
This was a year of transition. A year spent trying to remember life before a lockdown. This past fall I began my tenure as editor-in-chief writing that this year would mark the return to normalcy. Looking back now, I do not believe we will ever return to the world that was. Lafayette College welcomed a new president, saw Covid cases rise, then fall–then rise again. We saw student minimum wage increase, the restructuring of both Student Government and the faculty governance model and major turnover in athletics and the administration.
We have learned how to navigate a post-pandemic world and the “new normal.” The addition of the word “new” is necessary, as The Lafayette also will never be what it was–in the best way I can imagine. Writing the last words I will likely ever write for The Lafayette, I believe we have found our new normal. Last August we were standing a cautious six feet apart, and now the editorial staff is laughing together, maskless, in the newsroom.
Journalism is a demanding and exhausting task, and it has been an honor to welcome editors to the newsroom and have my first full in person year here since I was a freshman. Next year’s editorial staff has not experienced more than one full semester without masks. While remote reporting brought challenges over the last two years, today we acknowledge it also fostered a situation ripe with opportunity. A chance to build a better newspaper. I believe the talented journalists that will be stepping into the executive editor roles next year will continue to make our new normal a better newspaper than ever before.
I would like to introduce the brilliant editors that will be running The Lafayette next year. I am more than excited to welcome Nathan Kornfeind as editor-in-chief, stepping up from his current position as news editor. With a keen eye and unbelievable talent for digging up otherwise hidden stories, I have no doubt the paper will flourish under his watch. Shirley Liu, the current arts and culture editor, and Trebor Maitin, a current assistant news editor, will be The Lafayette’s next managing editors. Shirley is fabulously well-spoken, passionate and a fantastic writer. Trebor’s attention to detail and genuine love of the newspaper puts me to shame. Lastly, the skilled Naomi Shertzer will take the helm as design director, coming up from her current role as assistant design director; she will make the paper as beautiful as ever.
On the editorial staff, Emma Chen will be the next news editor, coming up from assistant news editor. The assistant arts and culture editors Madeline Marriott and Bernadette Russo will step up together as co-arts and culture editors. Caroline McParland and Charlie Berman will continue in their respective roles as sports editor and assistant sports editor.
It has been an honor and privilege to share the stories of my fellow students, inspiring faculty and hardworking administrators over the past four years. From the bottom of my heart, thank you, the Lafayette community, for supporting us.
Sincerely,
Lucie Lagodich
