To our loyal readers, and whomever it may concern,
I first want to congratulate you all on entering a new semester here at UVU. The Spring semester I have found often marks reaching the crux of any academic year. From this point, it’s smooth sailing, and congratulations to all of you who have made it this far. I also want to wish you all a very happy New Year. The beginning of a new year often symbolizes the chance for new beginnings and opportunities. It also is a time to reflect on previous successes and failures, and to set goals for the future. 2023 has proven to be a landmark year for us here at The Review, and I wanted to share with you all the status of your student newspaper.
Within 2023, we reached a new high when it came to the views on the website. In 2023, our website was viewed over 350,000 times, with several articles reaching over 1,000 views. Among some of our most viewed articles were Wes Miller’s call out of UVU fans, our coverage of the recent Ruby Franke controversy, off-campus organizations influencing UVUSA Elections, and the recent death of UVU Student Collin Niemela. During 2023, we were able to expand our coverage to not just campus news, but statewide and national politics. We have interviewed candidates for political office, a former Vice President, and Speaker of the House. We expanded our coverage and shortened our turnarounds in sports by traveling with UVU Athletics and improving our connections within the news world. We attended concerts through invitations and expanded the reputation of the Review. We improved our productions in social media and podcasting to provide a more well-rounded experience. Finally, we expanded our ability to give students opportunities to get hands-on experiences in the media world though expanding our scholarships and volunteer roles. Giving students portfolios they can use anywhere after they graduate. Overall, 2023 will mark a Golden Age in the potential of the UVU Review and has laid a foundation for its growth in 2024.
Though the staff works hard to achieve our goals, none of our accomplishments in 2023 would have been possible without you the reader. You are the lifeblood of our organization, and without you our reporting wouldn’t be possible. So, on behalf of the UVU Review, let me say thank you for your continued support of our reporting. As you begin this new year and semester, I hope that you are successful in your righteous desires to better yourselves, and to begin over again this new year. To my fellow seniors close to graduation, stay strong. You have made this far, and the prize is just over yonder. Keep steady and carry on!
God Bless You all, and thank you for everything you do for us.
Sincerely,
Matthew V.L. Drachman
Editor-In-Chief of the UVU Review
