When The Pleiad finishes publication for a semester, as we did last fall, we are aware that the world around us keeps turning, even if we are not in session to be reporting on it. Despite this, it always seems to catch us by surprise how fast that world turns while the publication is on pause.
In the month that we took our usual recess from publication, much has shifted, both in the larger world as well as in our much smaller Albion community. Michigan witnessed the largest spike in new COVID-19 cases since the pandemic began, forcing the college to push the semester start date back by a week; storefronts on Superior Street witnessed change as Lopez Taco House remodeled following a fire, Gina’s Pizza and Deli closed its doors and Superior Street Mercantile opened theirs; and perhaps the biggest change to campus, Joe Calvaruso, ’78, took over as the Interim President of Albion College following Mathew Johnson’s resignation on Dec. 24.
As we publish for the spring semester, we acknowledge how quickly things are changing. In accordance with the pledge I made at the beginning of the fall semester, I also acknowledge that it is my duty to remain transparent and accurate with our audience.
Like the rest of the college, The Pleiad is in a period of transition. It is not uncommon for our publication to see a significant change in hands between the fall and the spring semesters, and that is something we are currently witnessing. Over our recess, we wished farewell to many of our experienced staff members on their new journeys and we also welcomed new faces to our editorial board.
These changes are not something to be afraid of. Instead, we must celebrate them as opportunities to do away with what we took fault in and introduce ideas we can be proud of. This is a moment where we can seize the chance to let our student voices be heard while plans for the future remain malleable.
I encourage members of our Albion community–students, staff, faculty and others alike–to utilize this space as your platform. This previous semester, we had two guest columns provided by Albion students: one shared the experience of mourning a hometown tragedy from a distance, the other raised concern with the alleged way the college handled a situation. These submissions both contributed to the student-run spirit of The Pleiad and helped further our mission to be a platform for student and community voices.
We continue to encourage members of the Albion community to see The Pleiad as a platform to engage discourse with members of their community. Our inbox will continue to be open for submissions at pleiad@albion.edu. We will also continue to seek eager Albion College students looking to join our staff through the staff writer and the staff photographer position applications until Feb. 4.
As the world and our college community continues to see unrelenting transformations, it is my pleasure to continue providing a platform with both information for those looking to learn, and a space for those looking to speak out.
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