Dear Readers,
The smell of NQR is in the air. Finals are at hand, young Jumbos, and that means the Daily has run its course for the semester. It's been a great few months down here in the basement of Curtis Hall, where hordes of dedicated newspapermen and −women work to churn out issue after issue of the truth (with some opinion thrown in).
Other than the Board of Trustees' selection of the University of Oxford's Anthony Monaco as the 13th university president of Tufts, this semester has proven relatively tame compared to my previous three years on the Hill. From Tufts' distinction as the most dangerous campus in America, to the craze that was Four Loko, to last week's Wrenchgate hullabaloo, the Daily has had its hands full reporting on a variety of mild controversies.
We've worked to bring information to readers in a more accessible, real−time format on our brand new campus life blog, Jumbo Slice, continued to expand our social networking presence and interacted with our readers through new features like "Street Smarts: Tufts' sartorial scene." The quality of writing, photography, layout, graphic design and copy editing reached a level that I've never seen during my time here, and the care with which Daily staff members approached their work was admirable.
As your primary source of Tufts−related news and information, we take our job very seriously. During my time working for the Daily, I've heard my fair share of criticism of our work, from charges of sloppy reporting to anger at our prying into what some see as private affairs. Your letters, op−eds, online comments and remarks to members of our staff do not fall on deaf ears — we know we're not perfect, and our readers' input has much more of an impact on us than many believe.
I have had the privilege during my years at the Daily to work with some of the brightest, most thoughtful and insightful people I have ever known. The dedication that I have seen hundreds of (unpaid and incredibly busy) students put into the newspaper is both impressive and humbling. This semester in particular, I have seen friends go above and beyond the call of duty to ensure that the student body receives a beautiful, professional, high−quality product nearly every morning on which classes fall.
In particular, I have been blessed to serve this semester with an incredible leadership team. Not only do they strive to create a strong learning environment for younger members of the masthead, but they make coming to the office fun. Every single member of our Executive and Managing Boards has been an inspiration to me — their commitment and professionalism is something to which I wish I could aspire.
This semester has been the highlight of my Tufts career, mainly because I've been able to get through it without drinking coffee. More than anything, I'm thankful for the friends I've made on the masthead — friends that I know I'll keep for many years. Because hey, I'll need some couches to crash on when I'm an unemployed journalist approximately five and a half months from now.
Thanks for reading.
Sincerely,
Ben Gittleson, Editor−in−Chief
