At the beginning of my tenure as editor-in-chief, I spoke about the hard work and dedication that goes into producing 26 issues of The Tulane Hullabaloo. This is my 26th and final issue as the leader of this organization. With nostalgic pride, I can say the members of this staff have pushed themselves to their breaking points to become better — both as journalists and as people.

Every member of this staff has, at some point during their time at Tulane, nervously stumbled across The Hullabaloo office in the Lavin-Bernick Center for University Life basement and decided to take that first step. Inside, something happened, and they never left.

Our job — keeping the community informed and holding our university accountable — could not be done without the people who sign on for the weekly all-nighters required to put out this paper. They do this not because the job is simple but because they have a passion for this community.

Journalism, as our wise advisor has told me over the years, was never meant to be easy. This staff has seen the proof of that through the difficult stories we’ve reported on and the hard conversations we’ve had about our growing need for change.

And change we did.

Intersections, a section dedicated to representing all identities, found its place on Page 7 of our paper and grew to be one of the most read sections online.

The Hullabaloo, which has always struggled with diversity internally even while trying to report on it, just elected a staff more reflective of Tulane’s various identities and perspectives.

We changed both our website and our printer to be more conscious of readers’ needs and reduce our environmental impact.

We changed what used to be secretive, unwritten internal rules into concrete policies which our board approves and which we share with readers on our website.

The Hullabaloo’s staff faced its flaws and is working to fix them.

I, like many of our reporters, have met so many people during my time at The Hullabaloo, listened to the stories they told and tried my best to relay those to you, our readers. That is our task and our duty —  to watch the strong and give voices to the rest.

When administrators and students ask me how long The Hullabaloo will continue to have a print newspaper, I always respond, “As long as there are people with a heart to do it.”

Serving the community in The Hullabaloo’s 112th year has been the highest honor for both my staff and me. I am excited for the year to come and to see what wonderful things the new staff will bring to something I love dearly.

Sincerely,

Brandi Doyal | Editor-in-Chief