As classes start to wrap up and the school year winds to an end, The Post is also stepping into a new chapter. Thursday is our last day of daily content, and it is also our last day with this current editorial staff.
Serving as editor-in-chief of this publication has been one of the greatest privileges of my life, and I am so proud of all we have accomplished this year.
The first major change the publication went through this academic year was the redesign of our print issue. We transitioned from a square, 24-page tab to a rectangle, 16-page tab. The redesign was one of my goals coming into the year, and I am happy to say I have been blown away by the results. The change took some getting used to, but our incredible design team, Alaina Dackermann, Mia Pishotti and Nicole Reese, took it in stride. The result helps us to showcase our content more and ensure our readers know we are a newspaper first.
Another big event for our publication was the election. It goes without saying this election was pivotal for many reasons, and our newsroom was focused on delivering the best possible content we could. From about 5 p.m. Tuesday to about 3 a.m. Wednesday, there were Posties running in and out of the newsroom gathering results, editing photos and writing stories.
This year we decided to be extra adventurous and create an 8-page paper to be distributed Wednesday in addition to our online coverage. Stories were being researched, written and designed all in the same night. A special shoutout to The Post’s news editors Emily Stokes and Maggie Amacher for working their tails off that night and the weeks before.
To zoom out, every person in the newsroom was a valuable cog in our election night machine. Data visualization was being created, tweets were being crafted and photos were being taken. Our videographers were running around Court Street to listen to voter testimonies. Thank you to Kendall Timms and Hailey Dunne for always helping us build our multimedia presence.
Every Postie stepped up and did his or her due diligence to make sure our content was accurate, thorough and fast. The outcome was record-breaking numbers on engagement, and even the opportunity to partner with 100 Days in Appalachia to give our perspective on being student journalists during the election.
In the realm of politics, there were many opportunities for our staff to cover breaking news. From the pausing of federal grants to Ohio Senate Bill 1, our staff was on top of the latest information, ensuring OU students and community members were informed. Abby Waechter and Drew Hoffmaster led the charge of covering these developments.
It was also a big year for sports. The football team was exceptional this year, winning the MAC Championship for the first time in 56 years. Our football writers, Bobby Keegan and Charlie Fadel, were there through it all. They also traveled to Florida, where the Bobcats were victorious in the Cure Bowl. Basketball was not quite as victorious, but, nevertheless, Posties delivered on the coverage. Logan Adams and Bobby Keegan were at nearly every men’s game, with Charlie Fadel at the women’s games. This trio has proved their value in the spring season as well, with exceptional reporting on the baseball and softball teams.
Thank you also to our human interest staff for consistently delivering community news, especially the increase in local music coverage. Abby Jenkins and Sophia Rooksberry have made this a priority and accomplished it beautifully. Additionally, our entertainment staff continues to be one of our biggest sections, with a multitude of writers passionate about pop culture, music and movies. Trey Barrett and Sophia Anness have ensured that our content is up-to-date as well as varied.
All these accomplishments have accumulated quantifiably in awards. As a publication, we have received over 20 awards this year from various areas. Some standouts include a Pinnacle Award for Alaina Dackermann’s design, as well as recognition for Best Editorial by Brianna Tassiello. She and Megan Diehl have built our opinion section up, especially by consistently delivering quality editorials every week.
And, of course, this was all made possible with my amazing co-executive editors, Madalyn Blair and McKenna Christy. This editorial staff is truly the best of the best, and it has been an honor working with them. Thank you for reading The Post this year and beyond.
