(Photo Stan Perry/Gettysburg College)
Dear Reader,
As the end of the fall semester approaches, many of us are reckoning with the recent events of this unprecedented semester, and now is finally a time to step back and assess. This is exactly what I have been doing myself, and what we have prepared for you in this edition of The Gettysburgian Magazine. Right now, I am thinking about a number of facts presented to us this semester: More than half of Gettysburg students spent most of the fall semester off campus. Many students spent their first ever semester on campus. Many seniors did not spend the entirety of their second to last semester there. Everyone had to reconcile with a new normal, to some extent, and students in institutions across the nation are dealing with pandemic protocol, remote learning, and upturned plans.
We have all faced a lot of newness and uncertainty.
With the end of the fall semester in sight, Gettysburg students are currently busy cranking through finals, making spring semester plans, and preparing for more than a month-long break. For many, this semester has been a test in a lot of ways, requiring adjustments and adaptation.
I felt particularly out of touch this semester, especially as a member of The Gettysburgian. Like the rest of the Gettysburgian staff, I’m used to being on the ground, speaking with people, taking photos of campus, attending events and keeping my finger on the pulse. Since arriving back home, I have felt my world shrink; Gettysburg, too, dissolved out of my reach. But, we’ve stayed in touch and pulled through as a team this semester to bring you regular content and two editions of our online magazine. The Gettysburgian staff also grew; we gained a few new first-year writers, one of whom wrote an article for this edition of the magazine. I’m grateful for the team at The Gettysburgian and their willingness to continue our unflagging work to document Gettysburg’s history.
At The Gettysburgian, we relentlessly aim to bring you the latest news to stay informed. We hear you; we want to be your voice and to show you a mirror of who we are as a community in the form of this publication. We also know the importance of this moment, and we are striving to harness the full scope of our community and environment just as we did before the pandemic.
I hope this second edition of the online magazine provides you with some comfort in our community. I hope it makes you feel closer to Gettysburg, and I hope it reminds you of the connections and opportunities awaiting us when we’re all back together.
Kindly yours,
Phoebe Doscher, Magazine Editor
