Editor’s Note

Hello New Bengals!

We are so very excited to welcome you to Idaho State University. Whether you are just beginning your college journey, or joining us from another school, we are glad to have you with us. When I started college in 2017, I didn’t know what to expect despite growing up in a college town. What I found at ISU was a place where I could explore new ideas, try out a huge variety of hobbies, make new friends and all while receiving a competitive education!

What you find at ISU will largely be determined by the choices you make, but if I could offer a piece of advice, it would be to explore as much as possible. Like flowers blooming after the frost, our campus community is full of energy and excitement for this upcoming year. While the pandemic was an adjustment for all of us, I promise you that ISU is coming out of it stronger than ever.

Through all of last year, our school newspaper, The Bengal, continued to publish the high quality, accurate news that our student body cares the most about. We listen to you, the student, first and foremost. We care about the things you care about. Building on our 111 year legacy, we will continue to serve you in all that we write.

This year’s Summer Issue is a special one indeed. To welcome you to campus, we’ve splurged on this very pretty, glossy magazine paper. Herein you will find the best comprehensive guide to fitting into town like a local, as well as many wonderful tips for succeeding at school. We’ve talked to leaders all over campus and given them a chance to reach out to you in their own words. I promise, these pages contain something for everyone.

With the publication of our first issue in 1910, The Bengal has covered ISU news through all of its epic highs and occasional lows. We are completely student run, meaning that we have the opportunity to publish the truth, even if at times it means writing about difficult topics. If it is factual, we will cover it. Increasingly, across our nation this has become rare on college campuses. Publishing a printed paper isn’t cheap, and many publications have either had to be absorbed by their respective universities, or close down shop entirely.

We are only able to stay independent thanks to your continued support and readership. These next few years will be a decisive moment for our paper. Whether or not we stick around is in your hands, literally! Please, pick up our papers and bring them back to your dorms! They are completely free for our campus community and we publish a whole new paper every week. Alongside our printed work, we also have a website, https://isubengal. com/ where you can stay up to date on the latest stories. Beyond that, we welcome your input; send us a letter, email (bgchief@isu.edu), cryptic note stapled to our office door (we’re in the second floor of the Student Union building if you’re curious), or even carrier pigeon if you must. We value your opinions as students, and we want to offer you a platform to have your voice heard.

I cannot tell you exactly what next year will bring, however I’m looking forward to embarking on this journey with you. Welcome to ISU. -Lesley Brey, Editor-In-Chief

Brandon Oram | Photo Editor