Congratulations to the UC Davis Class of 2020 — we did it! While this year has certainly been challenging, forcing us to adapt to unprecedented situations, I’m incredibly proud of our amazing staff at The California Aggie. Of my four years at The Aggie, this has by far been my favorite. I’ve never seen and worked alongside such a strong, determined, dedicated and passionate group of people who never fail to bring a joyful presence to our dimly lit basement office at 25 Lower Freeborn.
The Aggie staff has accomplished so much this year, including the passage of the Basic Needs and Services Referendum, which our unit and all other units of ASUCD would not survive without. We’ve put out our Best of Davis issue, which set a record with the greatest number of responses we’ve had to date, along with our Literary Magazine, which was also a huge success. We’ve covered breaking news, the Band-Uh! sexual assault misconduct, COVID-19, mental health resources and much more.
Reflecting on my four years at UC Davis, I am most grateful to The Aggie for allowing me to grow so much as a person, writer and editor, and for giving me a place and people who make it feel like home. Congratulations to a majority of our managing staff who are graduating — you should feel very proud of all you have accomplished, both at UC Davis and The Aggie. While it will be an adjustment to have a completely new Editorial Board and mostly new managing staff, I’m proud to say that Anjini Venugopal will be the next editor-in-chief of The Aggie. I have no doubt that she and the new managing staff will continue to make The Aggie proud and lead it to new heights.
I would also like to thank our staff writers, photographers, graphic designers, layout artists and copy readers who have worked tirelessly to produce amazing content. Without all their hard work, we wouldn’t have a newspaper. Thank you to our managing staff for always being so prepared, leading your desks with the utmost ease and being people whom your desks can look up to.
Thank you to our Editorial Board for showing me different perspectives and allowing for such a safe, collaborative environment. And thank you to my amazing managing editor, Hannah Holzer, who has been my absolute rock without fail and without whom I would not have been able to lead such a large news organization. All of these people are the backbone and spirit of The Aggie, and they have made my job so enjoyable. I’m beyond honored to have worked side by side and be friends with each and every one of you.
So, thank you again to everyone who has made this journey at The Aggie an unforgettable experience. I’m forever thankful for everything The Aggie has given to me, and I can’t wait to see what next year’s staff will accomplish.
Signing off,
Kaelyn Tuermer-Lee
Editor-in-Chief
