As week 15 of Fall Semester steadily comes to a close, finals are looming and the relaxation of Winter Break is on practically all Ohio University students’ minds.
This Fall Semester has been one filled with unprecedented challenges, frustration fueled by online classes, COVID-19 regulations and more. But with all of those, this Fall Semester has also been filled with new possibilities, ventures, ideas and dedication at The Post.
Despite everything the semester has thrown at us, The Post has created and published 14 wonderful, diverse tabloid issues. Furthermore, we’ve been lucky enough to recruit driven and bright staffers who have grown in their respective staffs and exemplified exactly what experiential learning looks like, especially during a pandemic.
The Fall Semester has been one of trial and error and lots of exploration within The Post. For the first time, staff members tried out live blogging during Election Night—something staffs plan to include during future coverage. Otherwise, there’s been a more digital-forward mindset. Our social media staff has been thinking of inventive ways to share stories, photos and more. In fact, if you didn’t already know, The Post even has a TikTok account now.
Looking forward towards Spring Semester, there’s lots of hope and optimism. Despite COVID-19 numbers rising, Athens will hopefully seem more alive with OU currently allowing students to come back to campus next semester. That prospect alone is enough motivation to get through finals week.
In terms of The Post, the Spring Semester will mark even more exploration and experimentation with different aspects of our content. With the possibility of more students on campus, opportunities arise and staff members are already brainstorming ways we can continue to be creative and innovative within our website and print publication.
On top of our initiatives with content, the Spring Semester brings change to The Post. Around roughly late February, next year’s editor-in-chief will be chosen. After that, other executive and section editors will be hired over the course of the semester as well, marking a shift in roles and responsibilities.
Over the course of the Fall Semester, The Post has continued to be dedicated to serving Southeast Ohio and acting as a pivotal news source to its readers and audience. That is something that despite harrowing pandemics, forthcoming shifts in editor roles and innovative changes will stay true.
While Fall Semester has been great and Spring Semester is looking promising, Winter Break is practically here. While there won’t be any weekly print publications or as many daily articles and stories as the usual week, stick with The Post as our writers, photographers, designers, coders and editors take a well-deserved break from the usual grind.
Molly Schramm is a senior studying journalism at Ohio University and the editor-in-chief of The Post. Have questions? Email Molly at ms660416@ohio.edu or tweet her @_molly_731.
