Dear students, parents, faculty and alumni,

Welcome to UVM!

At the start of my first year, I attended the first Vermont Cynic General Meeting of the fall semester. There, I found a welcoming group of like-minded people who are now some of my best friends.

The Cynic staff is made up of writers, photographers, videographers, podcasters, graphic designers and illustrators. We come from different majors and backgrounds, but we all call the Cynic our home.

Vermont is a great place to be a journalist. The state is served by 11 daily and about four dozen weekly print newspapers, according to the Vermont Press Association.

The Vermont Cynic is proud to be the longest continually running college newspaper in the U.S.

We know the importance of a free and independent press and are lucky these values are shared by our lawmakers.

In 2017, Vermont Governor Phil Scott protected the freedom of speech for student journalists.

The Vermont New Voices Act guarantees the freedom of speech and freedom of the press for all school-sponsored media at both public high schools and public colleges, according to the Student Press Law Center.

At a time when journalism is frequently under attack for being “fake,” the Cynic is fully committed to sharing the truth.

When the Cynic was founded in 1893, its mission statement read: “We shall honestly speak the convictions of our mind; it means our objects are utilitarian.”

The current Cynic editorial board still stands by that statement and pledges to accurately cover campus news, culture, sports and opinion.

No matter your interests or skill level, there is a place for you at the Cynic. Stop by our office on the first floor of the Davis Center any time, and a member of our staff will be happy to help you get involved.

Look out for our table at the First Year Picnic Aug. 25 and at ActivitiesFest Sept. 4. You’ll be able to meet members of our staff and find out the date of our first General Meeting.

To stay up to date on campus news, make sure to follow the Cynic on Instagram and Twitter at @vermontcynic. Turn to page 12 to find out how to subscribe to our weekly newsletter, the Cynic Bulletin.

Feel free to reach out to me directly at [email protected].

I hope you’ll join the Cynic or be an avid reader of our paper every week. Pick up an issue from our stands located around campus.

Again, welcome to Vermont, and I hope you’ll love UVM the way I do.

Sincerely,

Bridget Higdon

Editor-in-Chief

The Vermont Cynic

Staff editorials officially reflect the views of the Vermont Cynic. Signed opinion pieces and columns do not necessarily do so.

The Cynic accepts letters in response to anything you see printed as well as any issues of interest in the community. Please limit letters to 350 words. The Cynic reserves the right to edit letters for length and grammar. lease send letters to [email protected].