Hello Cavalier Daily alumni!
My name is Naima Sawaya, and I am a third-year student in the College of Arts and Sciences, majoring in Religious Studies. I am honored and excited to be serving as editor-in-chief for the 136th term of The Cavalier Daily.
My favorite question to ask staffers, editors, and alumni alike is, “Why the Cav Daily?” I love asking this because the answers are always deeply insightful and have a way of reaffirming my dedication to this organization. This paper represents different things to different people. For some, it is a practicum—a pre-professional space in which to practice journalism. For others, it is a creative outlet, providing a place to explore personal interests. I find that asking this question and listening to people’s answers is ultimately what fosters a community. So, before I share my goals for this term, I would like to answer this question myself.
When I joined The Cavalier Daily in my first year, I had no long-term interest in or passion for journalism. But as I wrote more and more opinion columns, I found myself increasingly enamored with student journalism’s ability to uniquely inflect and reflect national discourses. I loved understanding the spaces through which I moved each day, seeing the nuances and complexities that were hidden beneath the surface and which CD staffers worked tirelessly to reveal.
As Executive Editor of the 135th term, I had the great privilege of managing the subjective literary desks (Opinion, Humor, and Cartoon), which we expanded to include a new Puzzle desk. Overseeing these desks gave me an even greater understanding of the role subjective staffers play in showcasing debates. Moreover, I came to appreciate the power of non-traditional forms of journalism, such as puzzles, which challenge normative assumptions about language and communication.
So, here I am, EIC of the 136th term—both very excited and very nervous to be entrusted with this publication which has meant so much to me, my editors, and our predecessors. I am also very conscious that the beginning of the 136th term coincides with the beginning of a new presidential administration, which will likely constrict academic freedoms and complicate what it means to be a student journalist. I am optimistic that the CD will be able to navigate this challenge with ethical poise and conscientious reporting.
As I begin this term with an extraordinary team of editors, my goal is to prioritize promoting sustainable internal structures. The past few terms at the CD have been ones of great change — the podcast and video desks were revived, the puzzle desk was created, and many desks fundamentally re-evaluated their assignment systems. While these changes were necessary, we must now take stock of the new processes to maximize long-term sustainability and promote institutional memory.
Additionally, I hope to advance the paper’s commitment to digital-forward journalism by continuing to diversify the format of content we produce. Investing more thoroughly in our operations desks (i.e. social media, translation, analytics, video, etc.) is an important part of this initiative.
But perhaps most pertinent to alumni, my team and I are invested in creating more formal avenues for alumni engagement with the CD and its staffers and editors. In this vein, we will soon launch a monthly alumni newsletter entitled “The Cavalier Daily Chronicled.” This newsletter aims to provide alumni with a backstage pass to our coverage by highlighting behind-the-scenes and noteworthy moments and staffers. I would be grateful if you could subscribe to this newsletter and pass the link along to other CD alumni. And I would likewise be grateful if you would reach out to me (n.sawaya@cavalierdaily.com) or other members of my team to let us know what you like about the newsletter and what could be improved.
I look forward to engaging with CD’s vast alumni network. Please contact me with any questions or thoughts.
Thank you,
Naima Sawaya
Editor-in-Chief, The Cavalier Daily