My time at The Shakerite has been nothing if not eventful.
My sophomore year, I watched as Shakerite editors reported complaints of racism and bullying, principal misbehavior, administrative leave, union grievances, arbitration and superintendent and principal searches. I joined in the reporting and witnessed just how vital journalism was to getting the general public the truth. As administrators dodged questions, we continued to ask them. In March of my junior year, Gov. Mike DeWine closed schools and the rest of the state. Three weeks became six weeks, then the rest of the school year. Little did I know it would be 10 months before I stepped foot in the high school again. During the end of my junior year and the first half of my senior year, I had to change every system I knew for The Shakerite to fit virtual learning. Instead of working face to face with writers, we had to work through technology.
Now, I sit alone in our newsroom making pages for this print edition. In years past, this would have been a group effort. We would have gathered closely around one another to read stories and make pages, mostly being serious but often joking around and enjoying ourselves.
This now solitary activity has allowed me to reflect on how vital journalism is to democracy.
The importance of journalism has been evident throughout the pandemic, but most importantly during the time immediately following the murder of
George Floyd and the emergence of the Black Lives Matter movement. People took to the streets, and journalists followed. They published words, photos and videos to show the American people what was truly happening, holding people who hold power accountable. Journalists expose the truth, and by doing so, creating real change. For example, had journalists not been at Bloody Sunday in 1965, the images of that day would not have made it out of Alabama, and it would have taken even longer for the Voting Rights Act to pass.
As a student journalist in a community that values diversity and equality, I felt a responsibility to address racial issues in Shaker and throughout the country. We have a platform at The Shakerite, and it is vital that we use that platform to help create a better community for everyone.
As you read the stories in this issue, I hope that you will reflect on your life and how you work to help end racism. I hope the voices you hear in this issue offer ideas that you can use to become antiracist, because Black lives matter.
Lauren Sheperd
Editor in Chief
A version of this editor’s note appears in print on page 3 of Volume 91 Issue 1, published May 28, 2021. It was retroactively published to Shakerite.com in 2023.
