Hello, Archer! I hope everyone is having a most pleasant and enjoyable start to the school year so far. First and foremost, I want to take the time to wish a happy Virgo season to all of my fellow September and August Virgos.

My name is Vaughan Anoa’i, and I am the new Editor-in-Chief of The Oracle. I wanted to write this letter to not only introduce myself to the greater Archer community but to also share the goals that I have for myself as well as the entire Oracle staff for this school year. I am hopeful that this letter will offer a closer look into what The Oracle hopes to achieve this year, in addition to what is going on behind the scenes on a day-to-day basis.

First of all, I want to express my utmost gratitude for the opportunity to learn and connect with my peers and teachers in person this school year. After spending the latter half of my sophomore year and the entirety of my junior year online, I feel so thankful to be back on campus after a long 14 months away. Due to the pandemic, I still cannot comprehend that I am a first semester senior, as I truly still feel like a second semester sophomore, still adjusting to the effects of remote learning. Though quite a lot has changed, the one constant throughout this time has been my love and passion for The Oracle. Just as we did last year, The Oracle plans to continue our ethical and factual reporting while consistently following our mission of covering newsworthy events pertaining to Archer and the greater community.

I originally joined The Oracle as a staff reporter my sophomore year, as I was eager to push myself out of my comfort zone and try out a new elective. After my very first class, I immediately knew that The Oracle would be a safe space for me on campus where I could feel as though as I was a part of a family. For my junior year, I took on the role of the News Editor, which initially was a position that I was not interested in. Instead, I wanted to serve as the Culture Editor. Upon further consideration and multiple conversations with my peers and The Oracle adviser Kristin Taylor, I soon realized that the News section was the place for me. Once I accepted the role, I truly ran with it and never looked back.

Reflecting now, as the current Editor-in-Chief, I feel so honored and grateful for the lessons and experiences that have carried me to this point. Although I am a consummate perfectionist in all things that I do, both journalism-related and otherwise, I am thankful to The Oracle for allowing me to be vulnerable not only as a writer but also as a leader. During my time on staff thus far, I have been afforded many extraordinary opportunities and experiences that I truly would not trade for the world.

Shifting focus onto all things Oracle, this year we have a powerhouse editorial board compiled of two juniors and six seniors, including myself. We also have two returning senior staff reporters who are members of the junior class. Another exciting addition is the seven new staff reporters who are first-year journalists at Archer. In total, we have a staff of 17 members, which marks the largest staff that we’ve had in years. Exciting, right?

If you haven’t already, please be sure to follow The Oracle on all of our various social media platforms to ensure that you are in the know of all things Archer, as well as all things Oracle. Although you are more than welcome to continue reading our articles through The Oracle website, we also have our stories featured on the Student News Source app that is available for download on the App Store. By downloading the app, you are able to read our content wherever and whenever you would like to. As a staff, we encourage any and all readers to use the comment feature to share and express their thoughts and opinions after reading an article.

Another simple way to share your thoughts is by submitting a letter to the editor. If you are interested, please click the “Submit Letter” tab on the top scroll bar of our website. Even if you are not a part of the Oracle staff, please do not hesitate to reach out to the editorial board ([email protected]) with any questions, comments or concerns.

Thank you so much for reading! Be well and take good care.

Most sincerely,

Vaughan Anoa’i

Editor-in-Chief 2021-2022