It seems like just last week when I first sat down at my desk to write my letter from the editor in the first issue of the school year. I know it’s a cliche to claim that you remember something just like it was yesterday but the truth is, that moment is still fresh in my mind nine months and 30 issues later.

The Easterner’s come a long way since then, and if you don’t believe me then just take a glance at the cover in our inaugural issue of volume 101. Yikes, I know. But as I look back at that first issue, I realized that we were covering stories and topics that EWU and our community cared about from the get-go.

Our tremendous managing editor, Logan Stanley, went in-depth to cover the tragic kidnapping and murder of a LUCID employee who was simply just in the wrong place at the wrong time. We also kicked off our coverage of the redesign of the PUB as it began its final year of renovation, and I’m pretty disappointed that I won’t be here to see it open and bask in its modernness. And no fall quarter issue of The Easterner would be complete without recapping the EWU football game over the weekend, as the Eagles beat Fordham University in the Bronx to pick up their first—and a much-needed—win of the season.

Since then, we have strived to tell interesting and informative stories that we believe students, staff and faculty want and need to know about. In issue 4 we started our series on the food trucks that have called EWU home while the renovation of the PUB continues. In issue 5 we reported on an EWU alum, Logan Camporeale, who worked to rid Spokane neighborhoods of white-only covenants that have been around since the 1930s.

In issue 7 we shined the spotlight on EWU soccer player Chloe Williams, who will go down as one of the most dominant athletes period in EWU and Big Sky history. And in issue 8 we detailed the arrest of two EWU football players—including starting quarterback Gage Gubrud—on charges of obstruction and their subsequent suspension from the team.

And that only covers issues from the fall quarter. Other highlights over the course of the year include an investigation into the termination of cross country coach Chris Shane and how it divided the program, a former EWU professor launching her bid for Congress, and our series highlighting the diverse array of local restaurants in Cheney.

After a tumultuous couple of years at The Easterner, my goal for us this year was to stabilize ourselves and focus on pumping out great content each and every week. We’ve done that, and it’s all thanks to a staff that has worked hard and is dedicated toward putting out a final product that they can be proud of.

Michael Brock, this year’s sports editor and next year’s editor in chief, is going to discuss how he wants to keep pushing the boundaries further and further for The Easterner in our quest to provide great, timely content on a multitude of platforms. There’s no doubt that it’s going to be a challenge, but there’s no one more capable than Michael to lead The Easterner into its next phase as your student-led and student-run newspaper.