Editorial: Here's to another year at CMU
Whether you’re returning after taking the summer away, stepping onto Central Michigan University’s campus for the very first time or somewhere in between, the beginning of a new school year always brings a sense of possibility. The sidewalks are busy, residence halls are filling up, classes are beginning and campus is once again becoming the community I know and love all too well.
A new academic year means a chance for new opportunities, new classes, new friendships, new organizations and new challenges. It also means another year of stories waiting to be told.
That is where we come in.
We are Central Michigan Life, the university’s editorially independent student-run newspaper. For generations of CMU students and Isabella County residents, CM Life has been the prime news source for all things CMU, to learn about the people who make up our community and stay connected to the issues that matter to all.
But we are more than just a newspaper.
We are students just like you who attend classes, walk across campus, go to Slim Chickens and try to balance school with everything else life throws our way. We understand what it is like to be students at CMU because we are students at CMU.
Our job is to tell the stories that matter to the community and to make sure the voices that might otherwise go unheard have a place in the conversation. We cover the decisions, issues and events that directly affect students, faculty and staff.
While CM Life is rooted in CMU, our readership extends far beyond campus, with readers throughout Michigan and across the country. That reach gives us an opportunity and a responsibility to tell the stories of our community in a way that resonates well beyond the people who see them every day.
College campuses are communities, and communities are complicated. Journalism gives us an opportunity to ask questions, seek answers and provide people with the information they need to understand what is happening around them.
We believe that people deserve to know what is happening in their own backyards. We also believe that those same people deserve a voice in those conversations.
That is one of the most important things about CM Life: we are here for students and the community.
As you begin this new academic year, we encourage you to pay attention to what is happening around you. Get involved and support your fellow community members.
And, of course, read your student newspaper. You may be surprised by how much is happening on campus.
Our newsroom is made up of students who are learning the craft of journalism while doing the work of journalism. We are reporters, photographers, editors and designers.
CM Life isn't just a place for journalism majors. We welcome students from across CMU who want to write, report, photograph, advertise, design, edit or simply learn something new. A newsroom is stronger when it reflects the community it covers, and our campus is full of different experiences, backgrounds, interests and perspectives.
So, as we welcome everyone back to campus, consider this an invitation.
Read our stories. Follow along with what is happening at CMU. If there is a story you believe needs to be told, let us know. If you have a perspective that deserves to be heard, share it with us.
Most importantly, remember that this is your campus and your town. Every person has a story, and every year brings thousands of new ones.
