What a time to take over the paper, huh? Here it is, the first issue of a redesigned paper both under my tenure as Editor-in-Chief and which has been designed entirely remotely. The staff has worked diligently to make this happen and keep the paper going, and none of it would be possible without the amount of dedication and innovation that they’ve shown over the past weeks.

The news goes on. Stories keep unfolding. Call it the hyper-romanticization of journalism which journalists are prone to, but I hope we can remind the public of what’s still out there in our neighborhoods. I see the same view outside of my office window every day, and as I leave my house less frequently, it’s easy for me to forget what’s out there. It’s easy to get into the pattern of friends existing through an instant messenger or a blurry video chat. Maybe it’s just me, but reading the stories that my reporters have found has been a breath of fresh air. I’m reminded of how strong and caring this community is. 

Optimistic words can’t obscure the fact that this all really sucks. Big events of people’s lives are going to be missed. Many “lasts” for CWU seniors passed by without us knowing. I didn’t get to say goodbye to my Palace coworkers before it closed and I know my Abuelita was looking forward to my graduation for a long time. Spring break, for many of us, didn’t provide much more than a bit of time to be upset. We’ll have to keep taking breaks for that here and there throughout the quarter, for the sake of our emotional well-being. It wouldn’t be right to try and convince ourselves that everything is fine. But for myself and the staff of The Observer, passion for the craft can’t be the only thing driving us right now. We have a job to do, and we’ll do it.

People can’t get enough accurate and up-to-date information right now, and for the residents of Ellensburg, the students of CWU living all over the world right now and those connected to them, The Observer is here to provide what we can. We’re adapting to our changing environment the same as everyone else, but the news never stops, and what we can no longer learn with face-to-face interviews dressed professionally, we’ll learn over the phone in our pajamas. 

My goals for the upcoming quarter haven’t really changed. Over the past few years, The Observer has seen an incredible amount of growth as a publication, and I will be striving to solidify that growth so it doesn’t slip away with the changing of the guard after many of us graduate. I don’t have much to worry about, as much of our current staff will still be there to keep the paper going and improve it in ways I can’t imagine. However, it’s best that they don’t have to start from scratch.

We’ve got a rough quarter ahead, and probably a rough many months beyond that. We’ll keep living and doing our jobs though, to the best of our ability, knowing that we have each other to lean on. The story of history shows that the darkest times often lead to the finest hours, so let’s get through them and meet for a drink on the other side.