With the publication of this final issue, volume 48 of Rank & File is officially complete, marking a day I never thought, or hoped, would come. Over the course of this year, our staff has diligently worked to fulfill the promise I made in September to provide this community with a worthy record of its achievements and particularities. This year has provided us with ample material for the stories that filled our pages and inspired our work. Despite the myriad of obstacles we encountered, this year?s volume of Rank & File has been incredibly successful, and I thank every member of this community for that.
However, of all the people responsible for bringing Rank & File together, managing editor Meara Goss deserves a unique recognition. As my co-leader throughout this endeavor, her support, critical eye and devotion to this staff have been irreplaceable. Leading with humor and levity, she is truly the creative soul of this newspaper and the reason I personally continue to strive to exceed Rank & File?s previous achievements.
One of our staff?s greatest accomplishments this year has been the completion of our new website (gcmnews.net), which would not have been possible without our adviser, Daniel Reinish. Stepping in mid-way through the school year, he welcomed a nearly impossible task in agreeing to advise us through one of this paper?s most difficult years. This site will make Rank & File accessible to an entirely new audience, and I cannot thank Reinish enough for this.
Next year, Rank & File will be helmed by editor-in-chief Devon Maloney and managing editor Palak Bhandari. Although they faced a seemingly impossible challenge in taking over leadership of Rank & File with less than a full year of experience, they have both risen to the challenge. This issue, their first as editors, previews many of the innovative changes that they plan to make next year. I have no doubt that their volume of Rank & File will be just as successful and imaginative as this first issue.
Maloney and Bhandari will also be leading one of the smallest staffs in recent Rank & File history, an obstacle that we also faced this year. Beginning the year with less than 15 staff members, 10 of whom were new, presented us with the opportunity to develop brand new columns and shape the newspaper to our ideas. However, I also must thank all of this year?s staff members for willingly compensating for our small size by writing more articles, designing more pages and generally taking more responsibility than was given to first-year staff members in previous years.
It is absolutely impossible to describe what Rank & File has ultimately meant to me over the past three years. During my time on staff, I have had the opportunity to work with a unique group of staff members who have taught me how to tackle a project like Rank & File with perseverance and dedication. As I complete work on my last issue, I can?t imagine what I will do when Rank & File is no longer available as an outlet for my time and energy.
Thank you to the Marshall student body, faculty and administration for their support of and participation in Rank & File. This year?s volume has strived to capture the nature of this school, a demanding task which I congratulate this staff on completing.
Sincerely,
Dana Hayes