Welcome back to The Observer. As you open the page this year, you’ll probably notice a few changes to our paper. First and foremost, we’re excited this year to introduce our new logo, the end result of months of design and deliberation. For the first time, the logo includes the iconic Golden Dome in the “O,” grounding the paper in a sense of place and community. The classic text harkens back to past Observer logos, honoring the history of the paper in our 60th year of production.
From there, we set out to enhance the design of the rest of the paper, creating more visual consistency and emphasizing classical aesthetic choices. On the front page, our teasers now include essential information about the stories inside of the paper, allowing our readers to get the important information of the day simply by looking at the first page. New fonts have also given the paper a necessary refresh.
You may also notice that the Viewpoint department has been renamed to Opinion. Beyond being a mere stylistic shift, the new name represents a shift in focus for the department — focusing on more serious pieces which take stands and contribute to debate and dialogue on campus. The Scene department will also shift focus this year, now featuring more humor and campus life content which might have once fallen under the old Viewpoint department.
While much may have changed with the paper this year, with a new logo, page design, and a new office on the ninth floor of Hesburgh Library, our essential mission remains unchanged — “To uncover the truth and report it accurately.” We hope that these changes to the paper will only enhance our ability to fulfill this mission and help us reach new heights. To all new freshmen or to any student who might be interested, I encourage you to join The Observer. As the only independent, daily student newspaper at Notre Dame, Saint Mary’s and Holy Cross, we seek to serve the community with no bias or agenda other than to seek the truth. Our news pages break important stories and keep the community informed. In the Opinion section, leaders on campus discuss great ideas and engage in debate. Our scene pages provide a valuable outlet for expression in arts and culture. And our sports section reports on some of the greatest collegiate athletic teams in the country.
Almost 60 years ago, a group of students dedicated themselves to bringing this paper to life, believing that a robust, independent student newspaper was an essential aspect of any great university. Today, even after two office changes, those students’ dream is alive and well and will continue for years to come.
Liam Kelly is a senior from Westport, Connecticut studying history and political science. He has served as Editor-in-Chief since March. Contact Liam at lkelly8@nd.edu.
