This year will be different. That sounds cliché, but it’s true. This year represents a huge leap forward for us as a newspaper staff and publication.

For the first time since our publication began, we have two Editors-in-Chief, one for print and one for our website. This stress on our website design and content is one of the key aspects of the leap forward.

By the time this issue goes to press, we will have either already transferred over to a new and sleeker web platform or, if not, be in the process of transferring.

We’re taking advantage of the wonders of the web, beyond its inherent sleek shininess. One key online goal we have is to increase our production of multimedia content and web-based features. As the year progresses, we look forward to adding more aspects to our web platform, such as polls. What’s more, there is one simple, guiding goal that we take into consideration when posting content online: post every day.

If nothing else, you, our readers, should be able check our website every day and see new and exciting content, whether it be the photo of the day, video or a written story.

But just because we’ve breathed new life into our online publication doesn’t mean that we’ve forgotten about our tried and true print publication.

We have staff that is a mix of old hats and familiar faces, all of whom have a passion and a desire to create great journalism. Our staff writers seem stronger than ever this year and the editors looking forward to laying out intriguing and diverse page designs. With this combination, all involved are hoping to put out another award-winning publication.

And speaking of awards, we continued the legacy of prior years’ staff by bringing home more awards and attending summer programs. The Pearl Post was awarded 2nd place for Best High School Newspaper and “Be More Heroic Comes to DPMHS” won Best News Story. Online Editor in Chief Chris Bower attended the Summer Journalism Institute at Arizona State University’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communications, a two-week long intensive program in which he learned a variety of skills, including how to produce and write for a television news broadcast.

The blue wall is stacked with awards, above the shiny new computers we use to make the award-winning content, and we hope to win more this year. The paper was passed down from last year’s graduating class to the new seniors, and all we can do is work our hardest to make them proud.

This year will undoubtedly have a few bumps in the road, but they’re nothing we haven’t faced before or can’t face together. The leap forward may be tough, but after we’ve made that leap, we’ll land with a markedly improved publication to take with us.