By Nicholas Steinhauser
Staff Writer
As the fall semester begins, The Signal is up and running again. This year, for the first time since March 2020, the staff is able to print issues and distribute them all over campus.
When the Covid-19 pandemic first started three years ago, The Signal was no longer able to print physical papers and had to make their publications exclusively online.
Since then, the staff worked in an office in Forcina Hall, which had computers that could no longer work with InDesign, the software now used to create print issues. They were a security risk, so the staff decided last semester to relocate to a new office.
In preparation for the move, the staff had to remove almost everything from the Forcina office, relocating all of them to the new Signal office in AIMM 227, which used to be a bookmaking room.
Over the summer of 2023, The Signal’s staff worked with an interior designer who helped them pick out new furniture and paint a new color scheme for the room. The interior designer also helped them remove excess cabinets around the room to provide more space for computer work.
With the help of the Student Finance Board (SFB), The Signal also ordered four new computers, all of which have InDesign subscriptions, meaning that The Signal can finally return to printed editions. These computers, along with new televisions and a new printer, were installed over the summer. The printers have been tried through multiple practice runs and are all ready to be used this year.
“I’m really happy that The Signal is back in print on top of its excellent website. It is an essential part of our campus community,” said Emilie Lounsberry, The Signal’s faculty advisor.
Last semester, The Signal’s staff worked with a publishing company called School Publishing Company to create an efficient printing system. Since The Signal has not been printed since the spring of 2020, none of the current staff has ever printed with it. Thus, the head staff self-trained themselves in properly using InDesign and printing physical copies of issues as soon as the computers were installed.
“It’s definitely a lot of work now, and it’s going to be a lot of work,” said Mike Sherr, the editor-in-chief of The Signal and a senior political science major. “I think it was kind of needed to get our name back out on campus. A lot of people don’t follow our social media account, so having paper in their face is a great way to get our message out.”
With the plans for printing underway, The Signal has created a schedule to print new issues every other Wednesday and have it on the racks across campus by Friday morning. The next print edition will be out by Sept. 22.
“This semester, The Signal will be able to provide much greater quality in media to campus,” said Tori Gladstone, One of the managing editors of The Signal and a senior English secondary education major. “Me and the staff feel very excited and prepared for the semester knowing that we have the tools we need to succeed.
This is a major moment of progress for The Signal. Now that printed issues can be distributed across campus, more students at the College will be aware of The Signal, and it will hopefully garner more support. As this new semester opens up, The Signal’s future is looking bright!
