Hi everyone! I’m Erika Lopez and this semester I’ll be working alongside Doran Kennedy as a Co-Editor in Chief for the Weather Vane. This is my third semester working for the paper, my other roles being a writer, photo editor, and social media promoter. 

I absolutely love working for the Weather Vane. Not only do we have an amazing staff, but through working with the paper I’ve gained an appreciation for newspaper writing and its usefulness in preserving the history of our institution. Years from now, we can look through old Weather Vane issues and be reminded of what life was like here at EMU, the events that occurred in our local and global communities, and can see some of the ways our society has changed.

Aside from the Weather Vane, I’m also a Sophomore elementary education major with a special education add-on and am co-president of the Student Education Association. It’s fair to say I’m passionate about education, and I hope to incorporate that interest into some of the work featured in the Weather Vane. Although I’m aware not all of our readers have an interest in education, the education system in the United States is in a particularly rough spot. Teacher shortages are rising nationwide, fear of another school shooting hangs over the heads of many, and bills are being passed that make learning and thriving in schools near impossible. People need to be informed about what is happening in our schools today. 

My love for education also comes in the form of pushing for the creation of inclusive classrooms that nurture the varying diversities of students. In a similar vein, we will work to continue promoting diversity through the work featured in the Weather Vane. As a student-run paper, we make an intentional effort to cover the stories on EMU’s campus that matter most to our diverse student body, doing so through an unbiased lens.

This semester, we’ll also be continuing our biweekly, twelve-page papers, a change implemented in the Fall semester. The longer gaps between issues has helped the staff create more developed articles while also providing additional space for more content overall.

One of the aims Doran and Isaac Spicher, last semester’s second co-editor, had with these spaced-out issues was to create more polished papers. However, mistakes, both big and small, could still be found throughout previous issues. 

As co-editor, my primary goal is to clean up our papers by working to minimize grammar and spelling mistakes and creating more consistency overall. 

A lot of work goes into creating the Weather Vane. Many hours are spent writing, editing, photographing, planning, and more. We want our readers to see our efforts not only through the quality of our writing, but through the care we put into its layout as well. Be sure to follow us on Instagram, @emuweathervane, and to check out our website, www.theweathervane.org. I look forward to another great semester!