Dear Firebirds,

When we became student journalists, many of us assumed the job was simply to record events as they unfolded. But last year changed that. Many of us became editors during the election cycle, and suddenly, we found ourselves responsible for telling a story we were still trying to understand.

We spent long nights waiting for results, trying to imagine how day-to-day lives would be impacted by the decisions made by our leaders. We watched small moments unfold into big consequences, examining the actions of a president who seems allergic to precedent. The experience taught us how fragile certainty can be.

In Issue three, our staff examines the first year of President Trump’s second term with a package that aims to make sense of the whirlwind year. Inside, you’ll find pieces on both the loud and quiet signals of a shifting political landscape that feels unrecognizable from last November.

We chronicled a year of Trump’s executive actions, covered the Pentagon press corps turning in their badges and reported on the seven million protesters marching to have their voices heard. We also explored how Trump thrives on misinformation, examined a government website showing signs of partisan bias and tracked a voter satisfaction decline as the Trump administration nears its one-quarter mark.

As an editorial staff, we strive to produce journalism that clarifies, rather than confuses—a commitment that feels especially important in an age when confusion is often the default. We hope this issue helps you reflect on what is happening, why it’s happening and how we got here.

As always, thank you for reading, thinking critically and keeping an open mind. In an era defined by algorithms and echo chambers, that’s no small feat.

Sincerely,

Evie Chancy, Maria Mosconi, Phoebe Morris, Lauren Rosen and Meredith Shryock