Editorial
Reflecting on an Eventful Semester
By Editorial Staff
December 8, 2016
Tags editorial
As the Fall 2016 semester draws to a close, it’s time to reflect upon our experiences of this past semester. The Spectator has engaged with a variety of important conversations on campus. As we approach the end of 2016 and begin to look forward to next year, we want to take a moment to review the issues that have emerged over this semester and set some tasks for our newspaper and our campus to take up again in the coming semester.
Over the past months, some of the main conversations emerging on campus have centered around how our community can best address issues such as sexual assault, and in particular how the administration should be working with SAVES to support survivors as well as newly-formed S.M.A.R.T. to improve policy and add to the educational efforts already dedicated towards reforming campus rape culture; student mental health in an extremely demanding environment; implications of a Trump presidency, including concerns about the future safety of undocumented members of our community and the question of whether Hamilton should declare itself a sanctuary institution; and environmental considerations and a new initiative to eliminate plastic water bottles, among others.
We view it as our responsibility as a news organization to curate the most accurate and informative data available for the community, as well as to provide a platform for students to express and discuss their own perspectives on matters that they find most important. These conversations are far from simple, but they are essential. We look forward to continuing the conversation next semester.