Over the past two-and-a-half years of my tenure as faculty adviser, the Exponent has undergone many changes and turnovers. As you all may well know, we’ve (almost) completed the move from our old home in Russell to our new offices in Warner. During this time, we’ve had to contend with both flooding this past fall semester, and a complete campus shutdown this semester. Nevertheless, the staff has soldiered on and even grown: new reporters and editorial staff have hit the ground running and are eager to bring our beloved newspaper into a new era.

As always, the broader media landscape has posed challenges in the field of journalism. Newspapers such as the Dallas Morning News and The Denver Post have seen massive layoffs and there are no signs that this trend will be slowing down any time soon. However, in our current sociopolitical climate, there has never been a more important time for well-written, honest journalism.

We are lucky that the Exponent has been supported by both the university and the greater Platteville community. Our goal has been and continues to be improvement: better stories, harder hitting questions, and important topics. Our ragtag staff is committed to ensuring the continued success of the Exponent. We’re learning lessons constantly and we hope to build stronger relationships within and outside of our wonderful campus.

Thank you to our most recent graduates, Sara Myers, Haley Kaiser and Kelsey Crosby, for all of their hard work and dedication. You all make this job fun.

On behalf of the Exponent, I thank the faculty and staff for their help in keeping this paper running.