Editor’s Note: On Paying Attention
Phoebe Doscher (Photo Aly Leia Wein/The Gettysburgian)
Every Wednesday night, between the hours of 7 and 8 p.m., the editorial team at The Gettysburgian crowds around the conference table for our weekly meeting. Those nights, we nail down the biggest stories of the week, brainstorm subjects for our next magazine and commiserate about the things students, faculty, staff and administration are saying about the College.
These conversations in the newsroom require us to take the pulse of the campus community. Which stories matter to the individuals on campus and the institution as a whole? How do we make sure voices are heard? How do we inform the community as accurately and effectively as possible?
We watch, we listen, we respond, we write. Most of all, we pay attention.
This magazine is a result of this careful attention—a result of all the times we’ve paid attention to the aspects of a Gettysburg College education that do or do not work well, of how we watch the institution constantly striving to create a vibrant, successful campus community in which everyone feels heard and everyone belongs.
In this issue, we take a look at heavy advisee loads and over-enrollment in Gettysburg’s classes during a pause on the curriculum review, how students chose unconventional major combinations and the legacy of Provost Chris Zappe as he leaves his post in administration and returns to the classroom. We also consider how student-athletes balance academics with the demands of sports schedules, share suggestions for getting the most out of tuition and share campus voices through the second edition of our Campus Chatter and Commons sections.
As you dive into this magazine, consider the ways in which we aimed to put a mirror to the Gettysburg College experience and created a space for recognizing how academic challenges in higher education—turnover, a new curriculum, high tuition rates—impact and shape our community.
Phoebe Doscher ’22
Editor-in-Chief
This article originally appeared on page 2 of the March 31, 2022 edition of The Gettysburgian’s magazine.
