On April 15, The Easterner was the first to share the rather unsurprising (but still disappointing) news with the public off an email announcement from EWU: In-person commencement was canceled. 

Like seemingly everything else nowadays, the ceremony will be virtual. (Graduates will also have the option of walking next spring. EWU is mulling the option of a special ceremony in the fall.)

This means over 3500 graduates won’t get to walk across the stage at the Spokane Arena to celebrate their success. As a to-be graduate myself, I empathize with my fellow seniors who will be and are quite disappointed by this reality. 

EWU wants to find a way to honor and celebrate its graduates despite the pandemic, and so does The Easterner. MarCom recently reached out to us and asked if we would partner with them to create a special issue celebrating the seniors. The answer from our staff was a resounding “yes,” and we’re currently working to decide what exactly that will look like. Stay tuned. 

On top of creating a special seniors issue, we’re continuing to put out weekly content on our website and social media platforms. New stories hit the site every weekday, with multiple articles on Mondays and Tuesdays. Here’s a recap of what we put out most recently. 

The ASEWU general elections are in full swing. Students, vote and make your voices heard! News editor Randle Kinswa put together a preview of the candidates to help inform your decisions.

I had planned to write a story about EWU alums receiving opportunities in the NFL as undrafted free agents or rookie minicamp invitees. When that didn’t happen, I changed my angle to write an opinion piece about how COVID-19 affected the NFL prospects of small-school players. Most photos from my recent stories have been taken by co-managing editor/multimedia director Malati Powell. 

When will quarantine end? Probably never. But, there are ways to pass the time. Copy editor Lauren Reichenbach talks about how to acquire and play Jackbox games. We’ve got an intense staff game of Quiplash scheduled as a staff tonight. Follow my personal Twitter, @lawsondrew5 for live updates. No, the family friendly filter will not be activated. 

News reporter Star Dragon takes a look at how COVID-19 may be affecting pets. Photographer Mckenzie Ford got to have her own dogs featured as the main photos. Read that story numerous times to try and get Maui and Mazzy famous. 

In my personal favorite story of the week, arts and features reporter Karlee Van De Venter talks about a couple members of EWU chemistry faculty teaming up to create hand sanitizer to distribute throughout the community. 

A lot of confusion seems to abound about who qualifies for the federal stimulus check of $1200 and who doesn’t. Reporter Aaron Hutchinson tries to clear the cloudy details for students. Hutchinson also shares the resources CAPS still has for students who are having trouble coping during these troublesome times. 

Wondering what to do for food? Reporter Emily Driskel writes about different options and asks students what they’ve been doing to stay nourished now that many opportunities are closed. 

Reporter Ben Blakney took charge of our entertainment review series with a look at the movie “Parasite.” Kinswa is up next for entertainment this week, and the possibilities of what he could have in the works are endless. 

What else might The Easterner have in store? You can count on weekly coverage of the EWU campus and community. Beyond that? Well, you’ll just have to keep following us and find out…