Our world is constantly changing. As things change, it’s important to be able to look back and recognize our past. To continue forward, we have to know where we come from. That is where The Crossover comes in. The Crossover intends to accomplish what every good news source should—to keep an honest record of the community. It’s been a long time since Champlain College had a consistent record of events and campus news, and bringing one back has been extremely important to our staff.

Champlain’s history with student newspapers starts with the Champlain Current. The Current was a print newspaper that ended many years before I ever attended Champlain, but you can find all editions of it on file in the school library. A few years ago, students attempted to start The Crossover as a student news website. However, life happened and it faded away after a couple of years. This is our attempt to bring it back.

Last year, I wrote a proposal to revive The Crossover for my Technical Writing class. I didn’t really take myself seriously: at the time, it was just about getting the assignment done. As I wrote the proposal, I started to realize how much having a school newspaper meant to me. Champlain’s only real source of information about on-campus events was The Stall Street Journal. People were able to hear about things going on around campus thanks to Facebook posts and Tweets, but there was no go-to. There wasn’t any real platform that students could turn to for news or to share their opinions.

This project is important for two main reasons. The first is campus pride and involvement. The Crossover gives us a platform to lift up our classmates, share accomplishments, and get the word out about clubs and events—and it allows us to do so with more than a short blurb. We can now attach a real human element to those things.

The second reason is that it gives a voice to the student body. The Crossover hopes to create an element of transparency between students and the Champlain College administration at, as well as allow students to not only speak their mind, but share the truth. As your student news source, we want to help quell rumors and answer questions for you. You’re welcome to write about them, talk to us, or submit suggestions to our tipline.

I could write all day about the importance of a campus paper. As the editor, I’m sure I will be visiting our new website constantly. But it’s not my clicks that are important—it’s yours. The Crossover can be a great source for you, but we are not just a news source. We are a resource: utilize us. You can read and share what we post, but you can also write for us, whether you write about your personal campus initiatives, your opinions, or even just a review of a movie you saw last week. Our goal is to be a reflection of the student body, so take that and run with it. Allow us to be your transparent, honest source of news at Champlain College.

Sincerely,

Gillian English

Editor in Chief