Observer Editorial: Changing with the times

It goes without saying that things are in flux. Every day, we are learning something new about our campuses, adjusting to new regulations and finding new ways to engage within the community.

Whether that means meeting outdoors instead of in an office or gathering in smaller groups, campus clubs and organizations are doing their best to ensure the health and safety of all those involved.

The Observer is no different.

For the fall semester, we have decided to print physical copies of the paper Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. We will still be producing daily online content, most of which will also be printed in the 16-page papers that will be available for pick up on each campus. The Observer will eventually return to daily printing, public health permitting the switch.

With this change, Observer production staffers will be in our South Dining Hall basement office three times a week rather than five. Here, we do it all: workers will sit 6 feet apart and clean their work stations after use, masks will be worn at all times and the snacks will be removed from the back (Fruit snacks and animal crackers, we ask for forgiveness).

The Observer Editorial Board is prioritizing not only the health and safety of our staffers but also the wellbeing of everyone who assists in the printing process — the delivery person, the workers at the printing press, the people on campus who help us. We hope you still pick up a physical copy, but reading online always works, too.

The paper will be available at limited campus locations at Holy Cross, Notre Dame and Saint Mary’s. Holy Cross will have copies of the paper available at Siegfried Dining Hall and the Max student center. Saint Mary’s will have papers at the Cushwa-Leighton Library, Le Mans Hall, Spes Unica Hall and the Student Center. At Notre Dame, the paper will be available for pick up at the following locations: North and South Dining Halls, Hesburgh Library, DeBartolo Hall, Duncan and LaFortune Student Centers, O’Shaughnessy Hall, Coleman-Morse Center, the Main Building, the Jordan Hall of Science and the Hammes Bookstore. 

In these times, access to the news — especially stories affecting the tri-campus community — is more vital than ever. We remain committed to bringing content to you, in print or online, five days a week. For consistent updates, follow us @ndsmcobserver on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

Feel free to contact us with any questions,  concerns or updates you may have about campus life. We will always do our best to find the answers.

In March when all three campuses originally closed, we assured you we would still be here. Though this semester might look a little different, that promise remains the same.

We want to be able to continue doing the things we love — uncovering the truth and reporting it accurately — with our friends at The Observer. We’re making these changes to do our part to ensure the health and safety of all involved so we can enjoy this semester to the fullest. We hope you do the same.