The truth is, becoming The Daily Beacon’s next Editor-in-Chief is an honor I don’t feel can be encapsulated in words. I almost wrote “mere words” there, and then I stopped because, truly, words are anything but mere.
Words are powerful and words have meaning.
We are living in a country where freedoms of speech and press are beginning to tremble a little for fear of destruction. Infringements upon these rights by the government loom ever closer. I was stunned, horrified and afraid when I first heard in February that AP News would not be allowed to cover the president in certain settings. Two months later, that access was restored by a federal judge, but we cannot allow ourselves to move on so quickly — freedom of the press was threatened, and someone must be held accountable.
The scene is ominous for student journalists. We are needed now more than ever as universities become a colosseum for political protests, heart-wrenching debates and polarizing propaganda that seems to be everywhere.
The diversity of voices and backgrounds that college offers to the average 18-year-old should be taken advantage of. For most of us, this is our first opportunity to meet others who are not exactly like us. I know more than a few people have personally impacted me during my two undergraduate years thus far. The biggest of those impacts have come from students who are nothing like me.
I would encourage you all to be curious. It’s easy for Gen Z to hide behind our phones, behind our AirPods or behind an Instagram username. Where has that gotten us, though?
Gen Z faces rising levels of anxiety, depression and mental health struggles. Perhaps learning more about our fellow humans and exercising our freedom of speech is the key to generational change.
Be curious about your friends — how are they doing? Be curious about the kid you sit next to in class — where is he from, and why did he choose UT? And be curious about current events — what does your favorite news outlet report, and what does the one you normally disagree with say?
And then be curious about being curious — why does it matter? Well, it matters because no one is an island. Every day, you are affected by the decisions of others.
You buy this kind of bread because it’s what your parents always had in the house. You listen to that band because a girl at a party once recommended it. You don’t get to choose how other people impact you, but you do get to decide to learn from it.
Curiosity — I believe — is the key to living. Curiosity keeps the press alive, keeps speech flowing and keeps people connected far more than technology ever will. A conversation is all it takes to become a better person.
Expand your horizons. Read the news. Ask questions, and if you have a question that you think The Daily Beacon should answer, my email address is [email protected], or you can find me in our office almost any hour of the day — 011 Communications Building.
And what if you want to be a professional, curious student? Well, I encourage you to become a student journalist. You will gain a platform to ask those difficult questions and a press badge that allows you all over our campus. This university needs more curious students, and I am overjoyed to welcome you to The Daily Beacon. From the moment you write your first article, you are a journalist, and it is up to you to wield the power of your words wisely.
The heart of journalism is to seek the truth and put it into words. I will ensure that The Daily Beacon prioritizes truth, clarity and integrity as we seek to bear a torch on this campus. Our words are powerful and necessary. UT — no one is an island.
The spring 2025 Daily Beacon editorial team at the first annual Media Center Gala. Back row, left to right: Trevor McGee, Emily Hurst, Ansley Graves, Chandler Dixon. Front row, left to right: Ericksen-Gomez Villeda, Sophie Mehta, Sarah Portanka, Samantha Whitley, Emma Caskill, Caden Dyer, Shelby Wright. Sunday, May 4, 2025.
