What’s up, Cubs!
As the editors-in-chief of the 95th year of The Loyalist, we would like to welcome you to the 2020-21 school year.
A special welcome goes out to the incoming Class of 2024, who are navigating the uncertainties of an online freshman fall.
Guided by Mrs. Sarah Gacina is the largest staff of The Loyalist in recent history, with a total of 29 students collaborating to create the best content possible for our community.
Without any concrete timeline for our physical return, The Loyalist has moved entirely online. To aid our transition, we have created a Digital Media Coordinator position to assist the one and only Jackson Kruse, our Creative Director, in revamping our website’s design, interface and functionality.
Finally, our Executive Staff is completed by Aidan Donohoe, our Managing Editor who oversees all content and assists the editors-in-chief in leading the staff.
Despite this year’s irregular circumstances, one of our top priorities is to cover a broader range of news through more diverse perspectives. Teachers who have rarely been interviewed by writers will be contacted more frequently in hopes of engaging previously unheard members of the Loyola community, especially for yearly events.
During the various summer seminars to discuss plans for the opening of school, Principal Kozakowski stressed the importance of having honest discussions about the upcoming presidential election on Nov. 3. In the Opinion section, we want to use this platform to provide students with a balanced perspective on the most important issues. In each issue, we will focus on a specific policy issue and have articles discussing the positions of each candidate to better inform students and—most importantly—allow them to form their own opinions.
Additionally, we hope to bolster the publication with the inclusion of tasteful satire, providing much needed comedic relief in an otherwise stressful and chaotic circumstance.
Last year, The American Scholastic Press Association awarded Loyola High School the first-place Scholastic Newspaper Award out of all high schools with 1,000-1,700 students. Overall, we hope to continue The Loyalist’s tradition of excellence, despite the challenges presented by COVID-19.
We thank you, the Loyola student body, for your continued support of our publication. The Loyalist looks forward to sharing the stories, perspectives and ideas of our incredible students, and we invite anyone interested to get involved by writing for us at any time.
Your Editors-in-Chief,
Julian Ha and Jesse Troyer
