A new school year is upon us, and for seniors like me, that means our chapter is coming to an end.

But before we get sentimental or start planning how to decorate our graduation caps, there is work to be done.

To the new students — welcome. If you are reading this you are already taking a step in the direction of being an informed Shippensburg University student.

As editor-in-chief, part of my job is to read every single article that gets published in this newspaper. I take responsibility for every character typed and printed. I encourage our readers to come forward if they believe something is amiss. If you are correct, I will ensure we set the record straight. But there is something I need our readers to understand about how this paper functions.

The Slate’s purpose is to cover university news, explore controversies, capture moments of college life, and most importantly, keep the students, faculty and staff of SU informed. We cover the news, but we are not a bulletin board for press releases or announcements. Our writers will tell you who won the game, what music is hot at Luhrs, who is achieving great heights and what changes are coming to campus. We do our best to cover all that is SU with the resources we have.

I will not promise that we will cover every single event and I cannot tell you we will never have a typo or spell someone’s name wrong. Please reach out to me at slate.ship@gmail.com if you know of upcoming events or see a problem that needs to be addressed.

We are journalists in training, so to speak, so forgive us when we stumble. Although we do not have our degrees yet, The Slate staff operates with the utmost professionalism of a real newspaper. The majority of our newspaper staff is in the communication/journalism major, and every single staff member cares about the paper you hold in your hands or read online.

We are a student-run newspaper, mentored by a dedicated faculty member. If you read The Slate, you are reading a product produced by students who are trying to gain experience before becoming professionals in the real world.

In my four years of being on The Slate, we have received the greatest support from the administration and students at SU, and for that, I am grateful. Without you, there would be nothing to write about. You, the reader, are the one creating the stories.

I am looking forward to my final semester at SU and I cannot wait to see what occurs. Whatever “Ship happens” The Slate staff will be here — ready to write.

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