The Smoke Signal’s switch to an online newspaper wasn’t entirely pandemic-driven. We’ve wanted to have an online paper for a while. But to not have a print paper at all this year… that was a decision we never wanted to make. Holding something that you’ve worked on for months in your hand, then passing it out to all your friends and to students you don’t even know is an amazing experience. Sharing a link to an online paper is cool, too, but it’s not the same.

This year has had more changes than any other I’ve lived through. Many of those changes have been disappointing: months out of school, not seeing friends and family, weird online AP tests, mask wearing. It’s been a lot to deal with, but I’m hoping this transition to an online newspaper won’t be one of them. Instead, I’m hoping it will take us as a paper into a new age.

What you’re looking at is something we’ve never done before. We have the ability to post content as fast as we can write and edit it, which is so different than being forced to not cover events at some points in previous years because they would be old news by our next issue. We can embed videos in our music reviews so you can listen right on our website. You can comment and share your own opinions right below our opinions, or include a new take under a news piece. The Smoke Signal online is going to be more multimedia, more collaborative, and more timely. Plus, all our pictures are in color, and it doesn’t cost anything more.

Change can be scary. Change can also be exciting. If you’re excited by this change, we’d love to see you on our staff or as a contributor. Talk to one of our staff, or email us at [email protected]. No in-person meetings required; all cohorts welcome.

To learn more about how to navigate the website, watch the video above. It was shared in Advisory on December 23rd and is a walk-through of the online newspaper.