On Sunday, April 17, the Associated Students of Whitman College (ASWC) unanimously voted to amend the bylaws in order to reaffirm the Editor in Chief and Publisher of their sovereignty over Whitman College’s student newspaper. The vote came after a lively Senate discussion concerning an ASWC Oversight Committee ruling which stated that, according to the (now overturned) bylaw, “the Editors [of The Pioneer] do not have absolute freedom with regard to choosing the content of the paper.”   

It has been a long journey from the initial name change announcement in mid-February, but today we write this editorial secure in the notion that our paper will continue to produce excellent student journalism for the Whitman community.

We appreciate the support we’ve received from countless members of the Whitman community who have stood in solidarity with the paper.To those who added their critical voices to the discussion, we would like to extend our gratitude. The responses we received, both positive and negative, made it abundantly clear that the Whitman community at large cares about this student newspaper.  

As we move forward with choosing a new name, we appreciate input from readers and the Whitman community. We encourage you to submit name ideas using this survey form. While we produce its content, the newspaper belongs to and serves all members of our community. We value our readership and community, and look forward to receiving  your input as we enter a new academic year.