SRU community,
Now 10 days ago, SRU students went from leaving our university for an anticipated week-long break to preparing for a two-week break extension that will be followed by online instruction.
Today, 10 days after originally leaving for spring break, I’m now part of a student newspaper staff covering an unprecedented crisis that not just affects our university, but our entire globe.
There are moments when this entire situation still doesn’t feel real, a feeling I’m sure many of you also feel as our everyday lives continue to be altered daily in response to the coronavirus.
In response to SRU’s extended break and the move to online classes starting March 30, I wanted to take the time to let you all know that The Rocket will continue to operate as a digital-first organization. Throughout the past week, The Rocket staff has been working diligently throughout the sudden news that our production must switch to remote methods.
Here are some of our major operating points for the remainder of this semester:
We are digital first.
The remaining three print editions for the rest of this semester originally scheduled for March 20, April 10, and May 1 are canceled.
The Rocket has operated on a digital-first model for the past few years, and this will especially hold true in a time when our office is not accessible.
Our staff of 14 (alongside volunteers from WSRU-TV) will continue to work remotely to report the news of SRU and PASSHE. For many of us (myself included), this will mean that our work will continue from our permanent address. However, our work as independent student journalists is extremely important, regardless of our location and especially in an unprecedented circumstance like the coronavirus.
The best way to stay up to date with us is to follow our social media (@SRURocket on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram). Make sure to also check back to theonlinerocket.com regularly for updated content.
While we will continue to cover news, sports, and campus life happenings, the coronavirus will be at the forefront of many of our upcoming articles.
To date, we have covered the operating schedule changes for all PASSHE universities, state of athletics for the rest of the semester and roles of APSCUF and the Center for Teaching Learning in this process. There is much more coverage to come, so follow @SRURocket on social media for the latest information.
We also have a page where we will post all content related to the coronavirus. To read the pieces we have published so far, click here.
If you have a tip for us, the best way to notify The Rocket is to email me directly at hms1015@sru.edu.
We will continue to be a forum for students, faculty, administration and community.
We are and always will be a forum for the SRU student body, regardless if where we are located. This being said, our opinion section is open to all concerned SRU community members. Email hms1015@sru.edu for more information. We need to hear all possible perspectives more than ever, and reaching out to me directly is the best way to keep this conversation rolling.
Stay safe, and stay tuned,
Hannah Shumsky, editor-in-chief
Twitter: @hshumsky_ed
