Letter From the Editor

To Our Readers, 

For The Collegian staff this year has been unlike any other. Similar to all student organizations, The Collegian had to learn to adapt to a predominately virtual year in order to do our part in helping to stop the spread of the coronavirus pandemic. Although this academic year did not turn out in all the ways the staff had planned, we are extremely grateful for our readers and the changes we have made in order to preserve The Collegian for centuries to come. 

During this academic year The Collegian launched a brand new website that will continue to present the Saint Mary’s community with weekly content for the foreseeable future. The student staff successfully published 23 virtual editions for this academic year including two special editions covering important events that directly impacted the Saint Mary’s community. In the Fall The Collegian presented the “Election Day Edition” highlighting the 2020 presidential election and the importance of democracy in our nation. In the Spring The Collegian published the “44 Days Edition” covering the College’s 44 Days events celebrating the Black community. These two editions were an honor to create for me and the entire staff. 

I am immensely proud of the dedication and commitment to this historic organization that the staff and our mentors have exemplified this year. The Collegian is filled with talented and determined writers that will continue to entertain and amaze readers. 

I have been a part of The Collegian staff since my first year of college four years ago, beginning as a contributing writer. As a young student I had the privilege of learning from fellow students who cared deeply about the legacy of The Collegian. As my role in the newspaper grew, the lessons of dedication and respect for this organization that I learned from student staff members inspired me to recognize how important this newspaper is to this College community. 

To have had the honor to have been the Editor-in-Chief of this newspaper will be an experience I will remember forever. I know that a long legacy of editors have preceded me and I hope that an even longer line will follow as this newspaper continues. 

I truly believe in the importance of every college having an outlet where students can publish their own written work and see on paper their opinions and the views of others. The student staff of The Collegian has never backed away from exploring, supporting, or criticizing the College or our country. For almost 118 years The Collegian staff has created a community within our College for students to express their views that I am so happy to have been a part of. 

Throughout the year I have received emails and letters from former alumni who, during their college years, wrote for The Collegian. Each spoke about the community that their staff created and how they are pleased to see The Collegian continued by a new generation of Saint Mary’s students. To know that our cherished alumni are proud of our work is so meaningful to us as writers. 

To my fellow staff, it has been a honor and a privilege to have been your editor. To have led such an incredible staff filled with talented and dedicated students will remain the highlight of my college career. To those who remain, I am so excited to see what the future of The Collegian holds with you all in the years to come! 

In closing, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to our readers. Your continued support of this newspaper has allowed us to continue our love of writing. We will always cherish your support! 

The Collegian remains Saint Mary’s oldest student organization and I know that generations of Saint Mary’s students will add their own work to the long history of this newspaper. To have had this opportunity myself was the honor of my Saint Mary’s career. 

I know that The Collegian will continue for decades to come and I look forward to seeing where this publication will go as a faithful alumni reader. 

Sincerely, 

Victoria Vidales ‘21
Editor-in-Chief of The Collegian 2019-2021