Letter from the editor

The year I was born, The Spectrum celebrated its 47th year.

Today it’s 68-years-old and yet, it’s still vibrant, young and thriving.

When The Spectrum started, UB was a private school, had a single campus and tuition cost $894. Students didn’t have dorms, the Stampede, gyms or Starbucks. UB didn’t have a mascot or probably even imagine it would one day host D1 teams and build a state-of-the-art field house. It didn’t have a medical school or a $375 million medical campus.

It’s an amazing time to be a student at UB –– our possibilities feel endless.

It’s also an incredible time to be a student journalist. The campus and our world are brim with stories to tell and fake news to debunk.

I’m Hannah Stein and I’m The Spectrum’s editor-in-chief. I am honored and humbled to fill this important and historic position for the second year in a row and to be the 65th editor-in-chief.

Students at universities across the country are spearheading debates about free speech, historical naming rights on campus, how sexual assaults on campus are handled and about immigration and transgender rights. I can’t wait to dig into these and the many more topics that will come up over the semester.

One of the most exciting parts about my job is I never know what will come up next. Some nights, I have to throw out the planned front page because new stories have emerged and take precedence. I love the adrenaline rush of a good story and a news staff working together to bring information to you. There is nothing that bonds you with your co-workers more than writing a new front-page story at midnight.

I spent the summer working as an intern at Channel 4 News. I got the internship because of my Spectrum work and learned about broadcasting and producing alongside an award-winning team of journalists. I plan to use my new skills to make The Spectrum better.

I’m excited to announce the launch of our redesigned website, which went live last week, as well as the relaunch of our weekly newscast. Students, faculty, staff, alumni, parents, I encourage you to write letters to the editor and OP-EDs. Student and community feedback is crucial to us. If you have feedback on what we’re covering or a story idea, please email me at eic@ubspectrum.com or visit our newsroom in 132 Student Union. We need your input so our stories reflect the topics that matter to you.

We at The Spectrum pledge to bring you good, well-researched information and to take responsibility for any mistakes we make. We are the only student media on campus and increasingly, the only local news outlet covering UB. The Buffalo News no longer has a reporter devoted to higher education. We at The Spectrum know how important our job is. We represent you and ask questions with your interests in mind.

We will print twice a week –– on Mondays and Thursdays –– so look for The Spectrum around campus. You can also find regular updates online. My staff and I can’t wait to get started.

Sixty-eight years from now when the majority of us may not be walking around campus, our stories will still be here. Your stories will be. They will be in these halls and in the pages of our paper.

Help us make our pages matter.

Help us write history.

Email: eic@ubspectrum.com