Almost every year, when a new Editor-in-Chief takes their post leading The Falcon, a new style of layout follows. 

Some years these changes are dramatic, while in others the design remains relatively the same as the year before. Just like my predecessors, I wanted to make changes of my own. This change, however, was not limited to the look of the paper. 

Changes like a reduction in pages, font choices and the header are easy enough to spot. However, visual changes are an indicator of the other changes going on behind the scenes. 

I want the paper to report on different stories than we have in the past. That is a reflection of the campus and the Seattle area, not just a recount of school events. That tells the stories of our campus that don’t get a lot of attention but are still important. Stories like the men’s soccer team going to Europe, Giao Nguyen’s Instagram films and the study abroad trip to Morocco.   

The changes in the font are purely a result of my distaste for the fonts of last year. The change of logo is because I’m a sucker for a gothic font and the editorial staff was okay with that. I would also like to note that the header has been elegantly crafted by one of the members on the editorial staff, Chloe Guillot.

The reduction in pages from 12 to eight is a little harder for me to explain. 

My logic is that if the staff spends less energy on the number of stories we produce, we can have a greater focus on the quality of stories we produce. Ideally, by the end of the year, The Falcon will be producing investigative stories that take weeks instead of days to write. 

All of these things are a part of the process and, while I wish I could just make everything happen all at once, I can’t. The goals I would like to reach will take time. As a result, I have to have patience with myself and with this year’s staff who have assembled around the newspaper — and has already surpassed my expectations on multiple occasions. 

Those who know me know that “This American Life,” a radio now widely listened to as a podcast, has shaped my approach and passion for journalism. My interest in the stories that do not always make big news but that make up people’s lives stems from the style of reporting that Ira Glass and his team do. Our little newspaper does not have the resources to find stories that span the country as they broadcasted through the Public Radio Exchange every week. We can, however, find the stories that matter to those around us. 

My obsession with the gothic fonts and “This American Life” are important to my story. I look forward to finding out what is important to the Seattle Pacific University community.