Letter from the editor: The Cougar welcomes new leadership

My time as editor in chief has come to an end.

While leaving in the middle of a pandemic wasn’t what anyone planned, great people are staying who will be future movers and shakers in journalism, so expect more tremendous work as they get better and better. Jhair Romero will take the reins starting May 1.

I can’t give enough thanks to all of the editors who gave their best this past year. You all brought this paper success and did good work to inform the UH community. You all will continue to find success.

While I was often reserved, I’m going to miss seeing everyone at the office. There’s a lot of bright people in this newspaper, and I hope our paths will cross again someday.

— Michael Slaten, exiting editor in chief

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For nearly a century, The Cougar has dedicated itself to being a platform that informs and serves. No matter the event, whether it be devastating natural disasters or magical Cinderella stories, this organization has been there for the UH community.

Never in this newspaper’s almost 100-year history has it faced something like the coronavirus pandemic, but as editor in chief I will make sure we continue to serve and inform this community just as The Cougar has always done.

While I guarantee we will provide quality coverage of this crisis as we have since the outbreak hit home, I want to assure you it won’t be the only thing you’ll see from us.

Slowly but surely, life will return to some degree of normalcy, and The Cougar’s coverage will begin to reflect that when the time comes.

The amazing editorial board and staff we’ve put together and I — for the sake of the community we serve and ourselves — will make sure of it.

But for now, we must deal with the issues at hand.

As editor in chief of The Cougar, I will make sure we adapt accordingly to whatever this world throws at us in these tumultuous times and tell the stories — your stories — that deserve to be told.

— Jhair Romero, incoming editor in chief