More than just a No. 7 ranking

While I may still have three semesters left on this campus as an undergraduate student, and while I will most definitely be working for our student newspaper in some capacity during that remaining time, I cannot help but feel nostalgic for the Daily knowing this is our last issue of the semester. As much as all of my extracurricular time has gone into preparing and planning each day to keep the Daily going strong, so much growth and friendship comes with observing all of this publication's workings (and all of its talented, dedicated and supportive staff) from the inside out. It is an undoubtedly exhausting process, and we're all students with commitments that reach beyond journalism. But the work that we have done this semester makes the Daily something I am incredibly proud to have managed along with the rest of the executive board.

One of the first things someone walking into the Daily office at Curtis Hall will notice is a chalkboard filled with scribblings from members past and present. There are jokes and old messages from former student journalists who have since graduated from Tufts and moved on. Most clearly, one will see the words, "Welcome back, Tufts Daily -- the No. 7 college newspaper in the country!" This is, of course, something we like to hang our hats on, something that we think reflects our commitment to reporting in the Tufts community.

But I'd like to take this time to express what really makes this newspaper so remarkable, and how the Daily team can always work to be even better.

Most of the Tufts community will have noticed our new website by this point in the semester, which was launched in early September. I cannot stress enough how this has helped us to not only make our coverage more accessible and timely, but also to make our production processes more efficient. It has completely overhauled the back end of the paper, and we think this has led to an enhancement in what you see everyday in print and on the web. And, best of all, it was a team of our own students that put in the extra effort over the summer and into this semester to get it up and running.

We have also done extensive work with the photography, layout and online sections to give the community new ways of understanding what is happening on campus. Just take a look at our stories on the Tufts Mountain Club's Peak Weekend, the resilience of the boxing club, the part-time faculty's contract agreement with university representatives and Sarabande's fall show "Little Bit of Love." These pieces are four examples of coverage that combine the usual paragraphs of text with media and creative layout to give a more developed and compelling idea of the initiatives our community members are involved with and passionate about.

For examples such as these, along with the usual work all sections are contributing every day of the semester, I want to thank and commend the Daily staff. All of our members deserve credit for making this paper better than ever.

Before next semester begins and a new round of editors have the opportunity to make their impact on the newspaper, though, I would like to sign off with some words about what remains to be done. We can be even better.

The Daily has recently developed an Intentionality and Inclusivity Committee to make our internal space more welcoming and intentional as well as make our relations with and coverage of each community on campus stronger and more deliberate. Our organization must focus on how it can best understand and represent all situations with which the students, staff and faculty are involved.

I have been lucky to call the Daily my home this semester, and that is due to the people that have surrounded me. We can make this place a home for more people on campus who want to engage with all of the inspiring work both inside and outside of the Daily. We can make the Daily a better forum for exploring and discussing what the people of the Tufts community are doing. It's necessary for us to push each other to make that happen. I know the Daily will be in good hands going forward with next year's managing and executive boards, and I look forward to the remaining time I have working with this determined group of students.

Sincerely,

Alex Schroeder