To our readers,
I’m proud to introduce myself as the new Editor-in-Chief of the Marlin Chronicle. This team means a lot to me, and I’m excited to be leading them all, albeit in turbulent times. The uncharted territory of higher education during a pandemic – and an all-around taxing year – is exactly why I chose to address our readers. Not only are we as a community experiencing this ever-growing uncertainty together, we as a media outlet take on the task of covering these experiences.
So, without sounding too self-important, I believe this is an important line of connection to establish: the press and the community on which they report. It’s a give and take. We’ve set out to inform and express at a time where information and expression may not be valued in the ways they should be. Our goal is to cover the stories through the lens of this community with the care and diligence they deserve, as well as elevating the voices from the community.
I want the Marlin Chronicle publication and team to be accessible to all students, faculty, and administration alike. We will continue to reach out to you, and we’d like you to contact us, too. In addition to conventional mail and email, we’ve begun communicating with more in-person conversation (from 6 ft. of course), video calls, and social media. Similarly, we recognize the pace at which news moves during a semester like this as well as the proclivity for getting our news and entertainment through technology. I see this as an opportunity to expand our digital and social media presence, while keeping the print copy that’s characterized the Chronicle for so long.
I invite you to collaborate with us. Please talk to our team. We all come across something “newsworthy” throughout our day. Sometimes it’s a big story for the whole campus to hear, and other times it’s a fun event taking place on the lawn. There’s always something to share. Don’t hesitate to contact us with a photo, a story, an Op. Ed. idea, a letter to the editor, or anything else.
The news plays a part in our lives, so why not play a part in the news? If you want to contribute to our publication, feel free to reach out to me at ampowers@vwu.edu. We have a team with great talent and variety in their studies, skills, and responsibilities. There is a place for anyone, and everyone is welcome to join our team. We have so many positions on our team – writing, editing, photography, design, illustrations, advertising, social media, web content – the list goes on.
I could think of a number of great quotes about the value of journalism that could go here. But I’ll simply leave this: Everything we do at The Marlin Chronicle is for you. While we might have a challenging year ahead of us, I will ensure that the Marlin Chronicle does everything it can to serve the Marlin community.
Alex Powers
Editor-In-Chief
