The most intimidating adversary is a blank screen.  

I can’t recall exactly how many times I’ve stared at the blinking cursor on my open Word document. I had finished the interviews, chosen the quotes I liked and had all the information I needed. 

 But I didn’t know where to start the story. 

 I’ve been working for the Baro for the past two years—the entirety of my Oregon State University career. I joined in fall 2015 as a reporter when the Baro still printed daily, and I wrote three to four stories a week. As Managing Editor this year, I have worked closely with everyone on our staff, overseeing day-to-day operations and picking up the notebook and pen myself when a last-minute story needed to get done. 

 After two years of working as a reporter and with reporters, I still find that cursor blinking on my blank computer screen to be daunting. But at the end of the day, the story is written because it needs to be. I have come to understand not only the thrill journalism carries, but also its necessity. 

 I certainly don’t know everything there is to know about journalism. However, I do know more now than I ever have before. With this knowledge in hand, I am excited to serve as next year’s editor-in-chief. 

 If I had to boil down what I have learned during my experience at the Baro into one takeaway, it would be the importance of community, respect and understanding. We as a staff strive every day to provide the most accurate and fair coverage of campus communities, not just of the loudest voices, but of the ones that need to be heard. 

 I am fully aware that over the course of the Baro’s history, relationships with communities on campus have been strengthened, and some have been tainted. Moving forward, myself and my staff will work closely with campus communities to forge and maintain strong relationships and understanding of

one another’s perspectives. 

 Next year we will continue our cycle of weekly print editions and daily News Blasts. Additionally, we will be expanding our interactions with the other five mediums in Orange Media Network to create a Life Section, which will be a source of entertainment through pieces on music, opinion, campus life and fraternity and sorority life.

 This year has been a transition year for the Baro, moving from daily print to weekly. We experienced many successes, but have also dealt with failure more than once. Looking back, our failures have made us stronger and have helped us hit our stride. 

 I have no doubt that next year will hold similar experiences, both with our successes and our failures. There will be times when we are staring at the blinking cursor, not knowing what to write. However, no matter what lies ahead of us, I have complete faith in the Baro staff’s ability to strive toward improvement each and every day. 

 As Editor-in-Chief, I promise to dedicate myself and my staff to providing the most accurate, fair and encompassing news to you, the OSU community. 

 I’m excited for the coming year and the relationships we will build. The doors to our office are always open and our willingness to get to know our fellow community members will never fail.