Loyal Weather Vane readers, we once again welcome you to a new academic year, a new semester, a new chapter in our lives. This first issue of the year commences our 72nd volume and continues our 86th year in production. Lots of things have changed since we last produced an issue, but we are still here and ready to go on this new adventure with you.
I (Caleb) am a junior this year, triple majoring in Political Science, Sociology, and Spanish. I’m a part of the EMU Chamber Singers, the Disc Golf team, and the Weather Vane, of course. This is my fourth semester on staff, after I took a semester hiatus to go on Intercultural this past spring in Guatemala and Mexico. I’m sure I will write more about my experiences in the coming issues, but for now all I will say is I highly recommend students take advantage of the Intercultural program. Jumping straight back in as Co-Editor this semester will be a bit strange considering all of the eventfulness from last fall and my absence in the spring, but I am just here to tag along for the ride. As I alluded to, we had a big semester during the fall of 2024; between the facility’s management transition to Aramark here on campus, wars raging around the world, and a presidential election cycle, there was always new news to cover. This fall, none of those stories have gone away, per se, so it is one of my goals that we stay current in following up with these narratives. Telling stories is important, and we have an obligation to tell the stories that affect our lives as the EMU community. As we kick off this academic year, please do not hesitate to reach out to us with any questions, concerns, or pieces that you would be interested in publishing throughout the semester.
Tagging alongside Caleb, my name is Peyton, and I am a sophomore this year, majoring in English. I divide my time between my academics and my part-time job at Massanutten Resort, where I have been working for about two and a half years and have contributed to the employee newsletter titled “Resort First,” which covers the events happening throughout the company. I joined EMU’s community last spring after transferring from James Madison University. I was also a staff member for The Breeze, JMU’s newspaper, but I left for EMU soon after I started. Thus far, I am only involved in the Weather Vane, where I recently happily accepted the position of Co-Editor-in-Chief. As mentioned, this is only my second semester here at EMU, as well as my second semester being a part of the student newspaper. Last academic year, I primarily wrote pressing opinion pieces, as they are my favorite to write, and I have a lot to say, #Womeninmalefields. While I may not have been a headline writer last semester, it is my goal to continue to spread awareness on pressing issues in our community, both by representing EMU’s diverse student body with facts and urging you to advocate for what’s right with my op-eds. It is more important now than ever to ensure that we are accurately reporting what’s going on in our little town and in the world. “Knowledge is power.” – Sir Francis Bacon.
Welcome to another year of the Weather Vane.
