Every newspaper starts as blank pages.

That might read as existential, or even cliche, but it’s become a practical notion to me as we head into The Lafayette’s 152nd volume and the college’s 200th year.

You can do quite a bit with blank pages, and I’ve got at least 316 to work with these next two semesters. In them, you will find journalism with teeth; journalism that begs to be read, responded to and argued about.

My task this year is not novel: steward the student newspaper and publish good journalism. Standardize the quality we’ve built over the last three years, and push the boundaries of what we allow ourselves to do. Balancing stabilization and innovation is the name of the game.

That’s why this year you’ll see more of us on social media. You’ll see content you can interact with. You’ll see us tabling every other Monday. And as always, our tipline, submissions page and email inboxes are wide open for your suggestions.

We also want you to understand how we work, which is why we’ve standardized the policies by which this publication operates, and published them online along with a new FAQ page. If we’re not meeting your standards, tell us.

I am joined in this endeavor by a remarkable team of editors, writers, photographers and more.

Selma O’Malley ‘26 has been my confidante and partner-in-crime for the past year, and I feel incredibly privileged that we are able to continue to build on everything we’ve accomplished so far. Benjamin White ‘27, our new addition, brings an insistence on clarity that keeps me accountable and our work sharp.

A newspaper doesn’t exist to make you feel good. It doesn’t exist to make you feel bad, either. It simply exists to be used by you. To inform, connect, call out and strengthen our community.

To that end, I hope that you will use us this year.

Sincerely,

Elisabeth Seidel ‘26

Editor-in-Chief