The start of the University of Maine’s school year comes during a time of unprecedented community and social change. Many students and professors are finding the adaptation to remote learning challenging or frustrating as we adapt to new learning platforms and expectations. Every day challenges arise that require us to examine our own abilities and motivations. However, these challenges offer opportunities to learn from each other, practice grace and compassion and find innovative ways to connect with members of our community.
One of the challenges I have experienced as the Editor in Chief is the fact that we will not be producing a printed publication of the Maine Campus this semester. Although it was a difficult decision, it is for the health and safety of our staff and community, and the Maine Campus staff has taken this as an opportunity to break new ground. Because the Maine Campus is comepletly student run, from our contributors to our editorial staff, we think it is extremely important to continue to connect with our readers. In a time where reading the news everyday is often overwhelming and disheartening, we believe that student journalism can fill a niche that other publications can not. The writers and editors on my staff have a unique perspective into what it means to be a college student, and we continuously work to offer enlightening perspectives on community issues in an unbiased and truthful manner.
We will be working to create interactive, accessible content using our social media platforms, as well as our website. We will continue to publish our articles on our website, as well as creating new ways to reach our readers through our Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat. The challenges to producing a paper remotely have opened new doors for the Maine Campus, and we have identified this as an opportunity to take a new direction with our content. Innovation in the face of adversity is a skill that I value, and I am dedicated to creating an environment at the Maine Campus that reflects that.
The Maine Campus will also be continuing with our podcast, Anecdote, on a bi-weekly basis this semester. We have welcomed a new staff member, Owen Vadala, as our podcast manager, a new position at the Maine Campus. Our first episode of Anecdote seeks to share the experiences that members of our community have had throughout the COVID-19 pandemic in relation to their role as members of the UMaine community. In the future, we hope to provide dialogue on topics such as racial justice on the UMaine campus, the 2020 election and other issues that are important to our audience.
As we continue forward, I know that this is only the beginning of a new approach to our presence at UMaine. There are countless opportunities in store for our publication, and we look forward to embracing them. Our mission throughout this year is dedication to timely, meaningful journalism that highlights the experiences of our community. We will continue to publish feature stories that highlight individual students at UMaine, as well as welcoming letters to the editor and encouraging people to reach out to our staff with stories they would like to share.
In our first week back at UMaine, I have learned that the most valuable skills that we can have during these challenging times are patience, compassion and empathy. Within the pages of the Maine Campus, you will find stories about growth that our community has achieved and the tenacity that our community has shown and will continue to embody.
I believe that our publication can bring you hope for the present and for the future as we learn to navigate these challenging times. We look forward to fostering a dynamic relationship with you, our readers.
Sincerely,
Leela B. Stockley
Editor in Chief
The Maine Campus
