Editorial: Newsroom resolutions
Snow continues to rest on the academic buildings, as professors introduce syllabi and Mount Pleasant restaurants open doors to large friend groups. It means the new semester is finally here.
Returning from holiday celebrations at home, we’re ready to see what 2026 holds for us.
The United States stands in front of the midterm election year, and the globe faces political turmoil in many places.
On the local level, for this print edition, Central Michigan Life checked on how the sheriff’s department is doing after it lost funding and deputies.
While 2025 was certainly a year of change for the university and the country, CM Life has been embracing some changes, too.
For example, we created a multimedia editor position, who is now responsible for the video and social media content. Our goal is to meet our audience where they are and to create engaging journalism.
In addition, just like any semester, we’re rebuilding the staff as students graduate. While losing institutional knowledge is hard, we’re excited to see what new ideas and perspectives upcoming CM Life staff members will bring.
As we wrap up our reflection of the past year, we are eager to see what 2026 brings for us. For CM Life, the editorial team has certain goals.
Masha Smahliuk-Bootz, the editor-in-chief: My New Year’s resolution for CM Life is to continue serving the CMU and Mount Pleasant communities and producing high-quality journalism that would be recognized by the National Pacemaker award, again. I also hope CM Life continues to be a home for all of our staff members, so that they all feel welcome and feel like they are safe to learn and grow here.
Sydney Neal, the sports editor: My New Year’s resolution for CM Life is for all of our reporters, along with the editorial staff, to experience stepping out of our comfort zones. Further, I hope that we can continue to be the storytellers of people who may not have a voice while also taking care of ourselves first.
Zoey Morse, the assistant photo editor: My New Year’s resolution for CM Life is to get closer to my peers, other editors and my desk in the newsroom. I also want our staff to continue excelling at delivering the Mount Pleasant community news they can’t get from most other places.
Grace Walker, the news editor: My New Year’s resolution for CM Life is to keep telling the stories that matter in our community, and continue asking the difficult questions that hold our officials accountable.
Blace Carpenter, the managing editor: My New Year’s resolution is to continue being a watchdog for our community and bringing news that keeps readers informed about the ever-changing life around us.
