If you’re reading this, then you’re reading the first paper the 2019-20 staff created, which means my first paper as Editor-in-Chief has been published.

Over the course of the next year, we will continue to publish in print biweekly and publish online every day.

While producing this paper, I think about the future I envision for The DI. We have a younger staff. We might have to do a little more learning as we go, but we will get the job done.

Like any staff in the past, we will do our best to not make mistakes; however, mistakes will be made. I encourage you to call us out on them. We’re student journalists; we need to be critiqued to grow.

On the other hand, having a younger staff is going to be to our advantage.

This incoming group is restless. They work harder than I thought possible. The passion they have, not just for their own byline but for the entire paper, is honorable. The younger staff is driven all by the same goal: to make a really great paper.

My goal for The DI this year is to increase our digital and school presence.

It’s no surprise print editions of the paper are dwindling in popularity, especially among students. My goal is to focus on getting more content to students the way students want to receive content: online. One way we were able to do that this past year is through the DI app (and if you haven’t downloaded it yet, I highly recommend). We will continue to search for ways to communicate our stories with our readers.

Overall, I see this upcoming year as one of my greatest challenges and adventures. I’m looking forward to this upcoming year of growth in my staff, myself and the paper. Thank you for continuing to support us. We look forward to serving you this year.

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Correction: A previous version of this article refers to the first published paper under new staff as 2018-19, not 2019-20. The Daily Illini regrets this error.