Throughout my college career, I’ve pursued journalism with a tenacity that made my friends worry for my mental health. From an outside perspective, working on the staff of a small college’s newspaper may look like a thankless task burdened by unnecessary stress, but I’ve always been drawn to the mission-fueled aspects of journalism. Reporting is writing with purpose. It’s writing that serves as the voice of a community. As next year’s editor-in-chief, I’m excited to bring student-focused journalism into focus.

Next year, both Guilford and The Guilfordian will be going through a period of change and upheaval. It’s overwhelming to adjust to, but I can’t help but see this as a time rife with opportunities to grow. When you’re forced to start anew, why not push the envelope and take the opportunity to experiment? Readers should expect to see new developments in The Guilfordian both content and design-wise. In addition to immersive features and breaking the World & Nation mold, I also want to make a concentrated effort to reinvigorate investigative journalism in The Guilfordian. It’s vital that as the campus newspaper, we hold the administration accountable and explore the underreported aspects of student life. The Guilfordian should be a paper that students and community members see themselves represented in and want to read.

I see so much opportunity in The Guilfordian for journalism that can be both fun and important. To that end, I want to increase traditional students’ participation with the paper. Guilford’s student body is filled with driven, creative students who deserve to have that reflected within the pages of The Guilfordian. I’m always willing to hear out your ideas for what we should cover, regardless of how outlandish, niche or underreported they may be. We have the capability to make this paper whatever we want; let’s make it something really, really awesome.

Lana Heltzel