Dear Readers,

Much like last semester, I want to begin my letter to you all with a firm congratulations – we are approaching the end of the spring semester! Congratulations to all of those who are graduating and to those who are walking. Look at you go!

And for all readers ranging from graduates to community members, I hope that you have enjoyed the hot and humid weather. I simply cannot wait for it to snow in June and drought in July.

The spring semester has brought many new things to The Exponent. At the beginning of the semester, we welcomed a new executive position onto our roster: the Assistant Graphics Editor. We elected the very skilled Emilee Davis into the position shortly after its creation.

We also produced the Raven Revived for the first time. The Raven Revived is a creative works publication that aims to highlight and showcase the written and visual artistic endeavors of the student body. Its name comes from the Raven, a creative works publication that existed on campus from the 1980s to the late 2010s until a lack of funding caused its cessation.

The Raven Revived began as a mere project on a whiteboard full of ideas. “The Raven?” wondered my blue dry-erase marker chicken scratch. Our Chief Copy Editor, Natalie Downie, responded to the ponderance with the greater consideration that “we need to bring it back.” And, we did.

It was from Natalie’s passion that the Raven rose again. I am grateful for Natalie’s work in gauging people’s interest, talking to people about pieces and encouraging us to think about the Raven Revived. She truly stepped up to the challenge. Without Natalie, the Raven Revived would still be a couple of words on the whiteboard of possible projects.

The future, too, holds new opportunities. We are welcoming three new members to our executive staff for the fall semester. Melanie Bisbach will be our Chief Photo Editor; Payton Jens will be our Assistant Graphics Editor; Zach Johnson will be our Circulation Manager.

The end of the semester, while providing a time to reflect and elect, marks the time for goodbyes, too.

Emilee Davis is graduating this semester with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Graphic Design and a minor in Art History. She has served valiantly as our Assistant Graphics Editor, providing us with numerous graphics for articles as well as O-graphics. You may have also seen her comics throughout the semester – a persistent reminder that humor can be found in the many nooks and crannies of life. Through her visual storytelling and oral storytelling, Emilee has truly enriched The Exponent.

Jelsim “Jello” Garcia-Bautista will be transferring to Madison Area Technical College in the fall to continue his technical training in animal science. He served as our Circulation Manger for the previous academic year. Jello and I were roommates from fall 2019 until spring 2021 in the grandiose Pickard Hall. He has been a great friend and a great coworker, ready to crack a joke and sharpen our wits at a moment’s notice.

Through chance, all our paths crossed. And what a story we made along the way! Every week, I am reaffirmed that the words on the paper do not make the story. The people do.

I am very grateful to have worked with such humorous, excellent people. I am incredibly proud of our staff and our development as InDesign aficionados, passionate news and features writers, involved community members, innovative problem solvers and, most importantly, amateur stand-up comedians. 

Thank you all for another magnificent semester. I look forward to the fall!

Sincerely,

John Rodwell

Editor-in-Chief, The Exponent