Dear readers,
Sunday, May 1 marked our first day of production as a new masthead. At 9:30 p.m. we were adding the finishing touches to the issue and looking forward to an uncharacteristically early night. Less than two hours later, that all changed. Like every other newsroom in the nation, we watched President Obama confirm that U.S. forces had killed Osama bin Laden. The news sparked celebrations and impromptu gatherings nationwide. But for us at The Chronicle, the celebration would have to wait.
During the next few hours, we redesigned our front page, created a photo illustration, reported a story and double-checked then triple-checked every word. Our night ended at an exhausting 5 a.m.—but even as I stumbled bleary-eyed back to my dorm, I had never felt so thoroughly exhilarated.
That night exemplifies our mission here at The Chronicle, which is to be the watchdog for our readers, the voice of this campus community. Every day we strive to be your most timely and relevant news source. Whether you read us in print or online, our goal remains the same.
And in order to achieve that goal, we need your help. Tell us what you want to read in our pages and on our website. Let us know about issues you want to see covered. Write a letter to the editor, submit a guest column, comment on our stories, tweet your thoughts.
And why not start here, with our largest issue of the year?
Open to our center spread, and you will see that the Duke name already reaches well beyond Durham. Read up on Duke’s forays into Africa, Singapore and China, as we are on our way to becoming the American university with the largest physical presence in a foreign country.
Look to Sportswrap for all the details about Duke men’s basketball’s two-week venture to China and Dubai, as well as profiles of our newest athletes.
Look to Recess, The Chronicle’s weekly arts and entertainment section, for music reviews on the latest albums by Bon Iver (pretty good) and Lady Gaga (not so good), as well as film reviews and a feature on a Pittsboro music staple, TRKfest.
Peruse through Towerview magazine for the latest trending topics, from student adventures in Kenya and Ireland to the most common names of the Class of 2015 (Michael and Emily).
I hope this special Vol. 107 Send Home edition of The Chronicle piques your interest. After all, everything we do up here in 301 Flowers, we do with you in mind.
Three years ago, I came to Duke University wanting to contribute to the campus dialogue. I dabbled in a multitude of clubs and tried my hand at several courses. But The Chronicle has given me a way to impact this community in a meaningful way. I found my place nestled in the top floor of the Flowers building next to the Chapel. Although I know next year involves many late nights and an inconceivable amount of coffee, I could not be more excited to see what’s in store.
Our first issue is hanging on the wall in my office, alongside only nine other issues that have marked Duke University in some way. That’s our contribution to campus—at least for now.
You have four years here. So go ahead, make your mark.
Sanette Tanaka is a Trinity senior and editor of The Chronicle. You can reach her at sanette.tanaka@duke.edu.
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