Dear readers,

My name is Hannah Kearns and I am the newly-elected editor-in-chief of the award-winning Vermont Cynic. I am incredibly proud and humbled to be given the opportunity to lead this publication.

As the leader of this organization, I am tasked with setting a vision for the paper, much like a captain sets a course before setting sail.

The vision that I have for the Cynic is centered on using it a tool to create social change, provide a voice for every corner of our University and inform the student body about the is- sues that are most important to them.

Our staff works diligently every week, without a journalism program as a guide. We are tasked with engaging and in- forming the student body about the issues on campus.

Recently, the ALANA Center hosted a “White Privilege Retreat” Nov. 13-15.

The event was designed to help students “conceptualize and articulate whiteness from a personal and systematic lens” as well as “build a community of dialogue and support in taking action against racism.”

This retreat, organized specifically for white-identifying students, is not the most effective way that this University can attempt to have a discussion about privilege.

A more effective opportunity would have included students who are not white-identifying, in order to gain a more complete perspective.

This is a step in the right direction. In this vein, we will strive to provide complete, equal-handed coverage on all issues of race and diversity on campus.

We have been given the unique opportunity to document important happenings at our University, and the pages of newsprint that hit the stands each week are essentially a time capsule for generations to come.

The Cynic’s priority will be to use our publication as a tool or positive social change, and we will make a constant effort to use the power of words to make a difference in our community.