Hello Readers,

My name is Natalie Downie, prior Chief Copy Editor for the Exponent, and I am proud to have been elected to the Editor-in-Chief position to serve the community and UW-Platteville for the 2023-24 academic year.

I have been with the Exponent since my freshman year during the fall of 2021 and took over as Chief Copy Editor the following semester. This past year, I have had the privilege to learn from the current Editor-in-Chief, John Rodwell, to understand the intricacies of the position. I hope I can fill his place with grace, just as he did in the spring of 2021.

I am excited to share our new editorial board— some new faces, some returning and some who have moved up in positions. Nick Wagner will be returning as our Managing Editor. Nick and I started at the Exponent at the same time, making us the elders of the group and we are proud of it.

Filling in my previous position of Chief Copy Editor is Kaz Bresnan, who just started with the Exponent this academic year and has provided content for the Exponent consistently. He will fill the position with ease and be great at it.

Gabe Farr will be returning as Chief Layout Editor. He started his position this academic year. Gabe has learned our programs quickly and has used that knowledge to create beautiful newspaper pages and will continue to do so next year.

Ethan Hack will be continuing his position as Chief Photo Editor. He started his time with the Exponent this semester. He has provided a consistent flow of quality photos every week and is always willing to help edit others’ photos so they print clearly on page.

Abigail Shimniok will be moving up from Assistant Graphics Editor to Chief Graphics Editor. I have had the pleasure of working with her for over a year and she will fill in for our previous Chief Graphics Editor, Morgan Fuerstenberg, just fine.

Our newest member, Nat Poeschel, has been elected for our Social Media Manager position. I am excited to learn more and work with them to continue to provide our content on our website and social media.

Another new member, as of this past Monday night, is our new Business Manager and my roommate Maria Uribe, who will be taking over for our gradating Business Manager, Isabelle Sander. I am excited I was able to finally get Maria to join and I have no doubt she will continue the work Isabelle started just fine.

Our Advisor, Pip Gordon, will be returning as well; I have had the pleasure of working closely with Pip for over a year. They have a great attitude and love for the Exponent, and I love working with them to make the Exponent an inclusive and productive learning opportunity for all students on campus.

I want to bring attention to our Chief Graphics Editor, Social Media Manager and Editor-in-Chief: Morgan Fuerstenberg, Veronica Hausser and John Rodwell for they will be leaving the Exponent next year.

I have known Morgan since I started working at the Exponent and I love her spirit and beautiful style of art that has amped up the quality of our newspaper. You have been my rock and someone I can always count on whether that be during the Exponent or when things in life are just not going right.

Veronica has a bright personality that has truly made working at the Exponent more enjoyable and she has never failed to complete her job and always goes the extra mile. You deserve everything great coming to you because you are such a wonderful human being.

Lastly John, everything I know about this organization is because of you. The things you have done for the Exponent in the past four years will be talked about long after you and I have graduated. Thank you for all of your support, compliments and being my first friend on this campus. Meeting you at the Involvement Fair table in fall 21 was one of the best things that could have happened to me. Though it is your time to step down, you can rest and reflect on all of our memories and impact you have made to all of us. Thank you for always caring John, I hope to be half as great as you in the Editor-in-Chief position.

I am grateful to have been able to work with you all and enjoy our long-lasting friendships, the office and I will miss you all dearly.

Lastly, I want to mention our community and friends who continue to support us by reading the  newspaper. We adore the comments we hear from around campus whether that be about our word searches, crosswords, crime stories or comics. We love knowing that we can provide entertainment and information for you that you enjoy. Because of you, we have lifelong friends, memories and something to be proud of when we graduate from UW-Platteville. My staff and I are proud to be able to serve you and we will see you in September!

Sincerely,
Natalie Downie, Editor-in-Chief