The past nine issues have been scary. The server, where we keep the files of the Voice from the past fifteen years, has occasionally failed; our software has randomly quit, citing a “modal dialogue” with which none of us are familiar; there have been missed photo credits and one time, we forgot that Opinions had a third page. Despite these challenges, the newspaper has become a true student venue — more than Oasis Snack Shop or Jazzman’s Cafe. The Voice has become a forum in which students can rant, report, explore, implore, discover and dissect knowledge that affects every reader. Our office is full of ideas and old copy edits, our writers filled with issues with which they find passionate, our editors finding ways to make everything tighter, cleaner and better— and then there’s me, just trying to take it all in.
In her Creative Writing classes, Professor Blanche Boyd will often read a piece, then ask: what does “better” look like? This semester, we’ve reached our threshold: we’ve produced ten full, student-run issues of student input, expression and debate that I’m extremely proud of. Our website is vibrant and active, and we’re reaching people like we’ve never before. Here’s to a semester of development and cultivation, of collaboration and synergy, of “better.” Thanks for reading.
– Jazmine
