The last first issue

This year marks the Loquitur’s 65th anniversary. The new year stirs up many emotions. With the calendar turned over to 2024, people begin to set goals, establish healthy habits, and look forward to a year of personal growth. For Cabrini students, seeing the year 2024 plastered everywhere brings about a different feeling.

When we see 2024, it’s hard not to think about how we are getting closer to the day where Cabrini University will be no longer. This isn’t something that we can’t push off as “happening next year,” because it’s now on the horizon.

Jan. 16 was the last first day of classes at Cabrini. Straight out of a childhood dream, that last first day happened to be a snow day. It was an anticlimactic start to what should be a whirlwind of a spring semester. 

Before we could even take a deep breath to prepare, January turned to February and we are one month closer to the end. Everything seems to be framed with this looming reality staring at us. Students either already moved on to their next school, are working on transferring for next year, or get the honor of being in the last graduating class at Cabrini. Whatever the situation, we all share the same emotions knowing the inevitable is near. 

There is a sense of urgency to make the most of every remaining moment. For those not graduating in May, there’s a sense of sad anticipation that we’ll soon have to leave everything we’ve come to know at Cabrini behind and start fresh at our new schools. 

In the Loquitur newsroom, while we share the same feeling of anticipation of the end, we remain motivated to tell the stories that matter most. We highlight the people on campus with unique perspectives to share. We also pride ourselves on our reporting and investigative work. Like all good journalists, our publication tells the stories you won’t anywhere else. We will continue to do as we always have, producing the best journalism possible. The campus community can count on us to remain vigilant until the final day the university is open. We hold the power in our hands to make this final semester the best one yet, and we are committed to filling 2024 with memories that will stay with us far longer than our institution. 

On Feb. 22, The Loquitur will host a National Student Press Freedom Day event in The Grill from 1:30-4. Students are encouraged to stop by, pick up copies of the paper, and learn about the work of the Loquitur and college newspapers around the country. 

Looking ahead, while uncertainty may cast its shadow, our collective resolve is buoyed by the resilience and solidarity demonstrated by the Cabrini community. What gives us hope and keeps our morale high is seeing all of the students and faculty who have stayed to ensure that the Cabrini experience remains the same. Our community has come together in so many ways over the past seven months. Honoring the history of our institution becomes more important this year than it ever has. 

65 years ago a group of students became watchdogs around campus advocating for change and establishing a platform for student voices. The Loquitur has served as a source of information for the Cabrini community, by the students. Instead of being afraid of the unknown, we look forward to celebrating the history of our newsroom and the exceptional journalists who have passed through it.