On July 10, the Stater won the Academic Freedom Coalition of Nebraska award for intellectual freedom, largely in part to our dedicated and in-depth journalism on what has been happening with the administration.

One day later, TIME Magazine named Wayne State College the best college in Nebraska. Criteria for the rankings included quality of education, affordability and outcomes after graduation.

That same day, Max McElwain, faculty adviser to the newspaper, was removed from his position for what is being deemed an “inappropriate wage payment.” Word also began circulating that tenured faculty member Maureen Carrigg had been terminated earlier in the summer. Her fault? An incomplete on her graduate school transcripts that all of the sudden became an issue after 28 years at the college.

It turns out that the word circulating about Carrigg’s status ultimately was not termination, but her resignation.

Many students were left confused. Hurt. Angry. How could these influential figures at such an important time in our lives just be gone with no warning? And coincidentally, how could this happen the same day our school is being praised and recognized as the best institution in the state?

As a close-knit group, working on various projects and publications together, it can be easy at times for communications students to keep a perspective respectable to the school as a whole. There are plenty of reasons WSC is great, but these reasons have been difficult to validate within the uncertain confines of the department.

With the new school year now upon us, it is time to turn over a new leaf. While many of us still hold opinions and beliefs on losing an adviser and tenured professor, what’s done is done. Again, there are plenty of things that make WSC great, and the staff here plans on bringing you all the stories that accompany these reasons.

Turning over a new leaf includes a new look, and plans to revamp our social media to better engage with students and other members of the WSC community. Our Twitter and Facebook accounts, both accompanied with the handle @TheStater, will stay up to date with all that is WSC news.

Now, of course we will continue reporting on what some may perceive as questionable occurrences and decisions. It is our job, after all, to report on all WSC news, both good and bad. And it is the reporting on these questionable occurrences and decisions that won our staff such a prestigious honor over the summer.

What we ask of you, Wayne State College, is to put your best-value money where your mouth is. Give us reason to believe that it really is a great day to be a Wildcat

Mason Schweizer For The Wayne Stater