This letter represents the view of Old Gold & Black Editor-in-chief Ella Klein, not the Old Gold & Black.
This was a tough issue. It’s my second-to-last edition as Editor-in-Chief at the paper, and this was the hardest edition I have had to contribute to and write. The world stage and purveying the news grow more complicated, minute by minute. I’ve witnessed this drastically change from when I first started at the paper in 2022 to now.
In my tenure at the newspaper, I’ve covered a fertilizer plant fire, campus encampments and school shootings. However, I’ve also made sure to cover joyful events as well.
This is the duality of the paper. Our two front-page articles today encompass so much pain. But within the paper, there is so much good news overflowing from each section. How do you handle this? How do you cover everything, all at once?
The answer is that we do our best. We work incredibly hard, every single day, bleeding into every single night. Even though in our writing, we stay as objective as possible and are firmly committed to our values as student journalists, it’s impossible not to feel. We employ our school’s motto, Pro Humanitate, in every aspect possible. I feel it is imperative that we remain as human as possible in our writing, even if that means sacrificing some harsher aspects of the old definition of journalistic objectivity. We report only on facts, yes. More importantly, we take into consideration ethics and reduce harm in every possible area of our reporting.
In one of my last letters to you, I implore you to keep your humanity at the center of yourself. Today, I want you to send a caring message of support to someone close to you. Give your friend a ride, walk them home and make sure you all get home safe. If you see something wrong happening in your community, report on it, like we do. Sometimes, the best form of activism is holding your government and governing figures accountable.
