As we near the halfway point of the Spring 2021 semester, I know a lot of us are getting tired of online classes and trying to find new ways to keep spirits up while still maintaining social distancing protocols. 

Within the last week, we have seen our campus’ infected population go from less than 0.25% to 1.17%, and 10% of our on-campus residents have now been put into quarantine. Please remember to wear your masks, wash your hands, and monitor your health. These are frightening times, but I’m hopeful that we’ll pull together as a community and reduce our numbers sooner rather than later. 

On that note, this week we’ve published our first of three segments of my sit-down interview with President Grigsby. This week, the focus of the interview is Covid-19 and how the College has handled the pandemic so far. The next segments will be published individually over the next two refreshes, so make sure to stop back to our page to catch the full interview. 

I’d like to take a second to congratulate my fellow reporters, and recipients of awards and honorable mentions in the Pennsylvania News Association 2021 Student Keystone Media Awards contest, Anna Litofsky and Dominic Trabosci. 

Anna received first place under the cartoon/graphic illustration category for her series “Behind the Mask,” and Dominic received an honorable mention for his album review of The Neighborhood’s “Chip Chrome & the Mono-Tones.”

I’m unbelievably proud of you both, and I’m grateful to work alongside you in making The Comenian what it is today. 

Make sure to check out our Q & A with Anna to read more about her comic series “Behind the Mask.”

This week in The Comenian, our copyeditor Nicholas Wan covers investigative journalist Katherine Stewart’s talk on the rise of Christian nationalism in the United States, a growing and disturbing trend.  Then Dominic Trabosci speaks for many of us when he takes us into the mind of a commuter student struggling to keep up with virtual schooling while trying to maintain a connection with the College community. 

And check the homepage for our reboot of Comenian Spotify playlist, with our favorite hits.   

In my last letter I briefly noted all the inclement weather days we’ve been having here in Bethlehem, but now that the sun has begun to show itself a bit more this week, I hope you all can kick back and enjoy some nice weather this weekend (socially distanced, of course!).

Thank you all for reading and enjoy the new refresh! 

Sam R.