Although we didn’t know it then, last week’s edition of the Old Gold & Black might be the final issue of the spring semester. 

As a response to the rapidly spreading coronavirus, the university announced on Wednesday that all courses will be taught through online instruction beginning March 23. While campus will remain open for the time being, our editorial staff is now spread across the country with no access to our newsroom. However, this does not mean that we will stop working. In fact, it is more important now than ever that we continue to report on breaking news and student life surrounding our new reality. 

The Editorial Board of the Old Gold & Black will be following the effects of the COVID-19 outbreak through articles published on our website. As a student publication, we will provide a unique perspective on everything from student experiences across the globe to how the online classroom will function. As so much of campus life will be disrupted in the next few weeks, we aim to be a trustworthy and compelling source for information. 

The Old Gold & Black will continue to tell our campus’s story through this time of uncertainty, just as we did in the first issue of our first edition — which was published in 1916. In the newspaper’s first ever editorial, a single quote stands out: “In the case of the mere student, becoming a subscriber is not only a patriotic duty but may be an act of self-defense.” 

We implore not only the student body, but the larger campus community to subscribe to our website and take advantage of the exclusive reporting we will produce in the coming weeks. Although it will be happening through Google documents, emails and FaceTime conversations, the Old Gold & Black will still cover the campus like magnolias.