North Texas Daily

What a year 2020 has been. I am sure I can speak for everyone on the North Texas Daily editorial board in proclaiming that this semester is not exactly how we ever thought it would be. After the transition to all online operations in the middle of March of this year, things at the Daily were looking unusual, just like basically everything else in the world. Nobody knew exactly how things would pan out in the following semester, but there was certainly hope that things would be back to normal to some degree. That is, whatever semblance of normalcy might have remained from a virus ravaging through our country.

Unfortunately, as we all know, the current pandemic has not subsided as we are still seemingly and frustratingly stuck back in what feels like March of this year. I will spare you all the different words I could possibly think of so I do not rant as to why this should really not be the case anymore, but it is, and we must all continue to do our part in helping curb the spread of this virus.

I knew we were still in a global pandemic as well when I applied to be Editor-in-chief at the North Texas Daily and I still knew this when I eventually accepted the job not long after. Things may not have looked normal in the world, but the Daily was normal to me and it provided a sense of comfort in a very uncomfortable world. Being the first full COVID-19 editor for an entire summer and fall term was certainly not how I pictured my tenure as editor-in-chief. Do I regret it though? Certainly not. If anything, it has provided me an entirely new outlook on life and this industry that I so love. I know now that I am capable of anything I put my mind to and wherever this industry may take me, I am ready for it.

I will not speak too much on what my editorial board thinks, but I can assure you that this has not been the easiest semester for any of us. Whether this is because of all of our classes staying online, an upending of how we do our daily routines in the newsroom and outside of it, or simply because this whole COVID-19 experience is an exhausting endeavor. There are a number of different outcomes for this seemingly perpetual tiredness, which will surely vary based on who you speak with, but I could not be more proud of the amazing work my ridiculously talented editorial board and staff of writers, photographers and illustrators have done this semester. This staff has covered breaking news stories, written features, sports stories and opinion pieces while also managing to capture amazing visuals for these stories all during a pandemic. These are truly awe-inspiring feats and only speaks to the testament of how talented these individuals are. All I hope for is that you readers have recognized it too.

While my time as editor-in-chief may be coming to a close, I hope to remain on staff at the Daily in some capacity in the final semester of my undergraduate career. I cannot seem to escape this wonderful organization, but I guess it is a good thing that I simply do not want to. I have poured my heart, soul and four years of my life into this organization and I would not have wanted it any other way.

Be safe, wear a mask, tell your family you love them and let us all hope for a better 2021. We at the Daily need you.

Courtesy Spencer Kain