A Note from the Editor: On Change and Moving Forward
Alli Dayton ’23 (Photo provided).
My journey with The Gettysburgian began as I logged into Zoom for my first weekly news staff meeting in Fall 2020. I remember emailing the editor-in-chief of The Gettysburgian asking to write, eager to find an extracurricular during a time when most clubs and activities did not meet due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Through my laptop screen each week, I discovered an increasing passion for writing and a new Gettysburg family. At the end of my first year, I applied for an editorial board role, and my love for The Gettysburgian continued to grow.
When I experienced my first in-person Gettysburgian meeting in Fall 2021, I did so as the News Editor. I assigned content to a dedicated group of first-year students who exhibited the same budding excitement for journalism that I had. As I mentored my staff, I watched their writing flourish and I saw several of them take on editorial board roles for themselves this year.
The Gettysburgian provided me with leadership opportunities, friendship, and personal growth at a time when I needed those things most. Throughout my college experience, this organization has served as a constant influence in a series of changes over the past two years, and for that, I am endlessly grateful.
In this magazine, we try to capture how our campus has changed since the return to normalcy over the past year. Gettysburg College is evolving, and we want to understand how that change impacted students. We know that for many students this transition did not occur easily, and we hope to represent those feelings here.
Throughout this issue, we examine transitions that have occurred within on-campus offices like the Office of Residential Education, the Sunderman Conservatory, and the Office of Athletic Communications, and how those changes have affected the student experience. We also look at the new conduct system, and the upcoming play, and we introduce you to new faculty members within our college community that have already begun making an impact.
As you read through this magazine, consider your expectations for your Gettysburg College experience, and what additional changes you would like to see. For those of you who are seniors, what do you remember about the campus prior to the pandemic that you want to see again? For first-years, sophomores, and juniors who did not know the campus before the pandemic, what do you think is missing from your college journey so far? Think about what you can do to influence your campus community and make it a place you are happy to call home.
Alli Dayton ’23
Managing/News Editor
The Gettysburgian
This article originally appeared on page 2 of the September 2022 edition of The Gettysburgian’s magazine.
October 16, 2022
Cool, keep up good work. 👍