In this season of gratitude, my staff and I would like to thank our readers and the WSU and Pullman communities for the support, feedback and encouragement. The pandemic brought about many challenges to our student newspaper, but we survived. We are still here to serve our readers.

Many people do not know what goes on behind the scenes in the publication of our daily online stories and our weekly print newspaper. What I can tell you, however, is that this Evergreen newsroom in the basement of Murrow Hall is filled with passionate and dedicated individuals who have invested a lot of time and effort in the stories we cover.

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COLE QUINN

Daily Evergreen news editor Emma Ledbetter works on an article in the Daily Evergreen Newsroom on Nov. 17, 2021, in Pullman.

I have seen many of my staff overcome mental health issues, tragic events and other personal problems on top of balancing their work and school. Many of us work part-time jobs. It’s stressful at times — overwhelming, lonely.

But at the end of the day, we still show up for work. We do our best with what we have. I have witnessed firsthand how the people in the newsroom have supported, encouraged and uplifted each other. Many of us have grown into good friends — as a family.

I am proud of my staff and how resilient they have been during this pandemic. We experienced many changes to keep this newspaper alive. We switched from daily print production to once a week. We had to work remotely for the most part last school year. We struggled with staffing numbers earlier on in the semester.

Even with all these obstacles, I am grateful to be a part of a team that knows how to persevere during challenging times.

To our readers, thank you for your support.

To my staff, thank you for your hard work and investment. Enjoy the time off and rest. You deserve it.