The ArtsEtc. section of The Badger Herald is twisted. On the one hand, it has the most flexibility in its organization, which can lead to both smooth workdays and stressful nights; on the other hand, ArtsEtc. gives new writers an easy pathway into transitioning from academic essay structure to the journalistic format of our articles.

As editors for this fine section, we’ve trained our newest writers to tell the University of Wisconsin student body what movies to watch, what music to study to and even which bathrooms to use. Everything is subjective, but ArtsEtc. is where editorial and news coverage into something amazing: truth through exposure. The more that happens around campus, the more we are able to share it with anyone who happens to pick up the paper or navigate to our section of the website after reading Shout-outs.

The new model of The Badger Herald gives ArtsEtc. an exciting advantage next semester. Incoming ArtsEtc. Editor Erik Sateren is able to train new and seasoned writers in a wider variety of formats using the flexibility of online-first focus, and he will not have to worry about filling four papers per week with content lest the section is blank in print. A burden of necessity leaves ArtsEtc. next semester and opens room for more articles, more writers and more experiences to transpose into writing.

Believe us when we say the possibilities for next year’s ArtsEtc. section are endless. Between social media and incorporating more sound and video, we have the chance now more than ever to focus on delivering content in ways that will truly engage our audience. We don’t just want to write about music, we want to feel and experience it with you. ?For example, we tried something new this semester with our weekly Spotify playlist. This was only a small wave in the sea of opportunity that lies before us.

With such new changes in store for the Herald next year, there will undoubtedly be obstacles to overcome and new challenges to face. But the flexible and necessary nature of ArtsEtc. has the strength to carry its weight and more to bolster the legacy of this great paper. Still, we cannot do it alone.

To those who have never written for any other reason than you were forced to, and to those itching to plunge into creative non-fiction, use this section as a way to reshape your idea of perception. Begin your career in journalism here, or just write an album review because you have something to say. Reading is exploring another’s thoughts and imagination; writing is discovering your own. Everyone at The Badger Herald can attest to the profoundly positive impact the organization has on being able to write for classes, but the amazing thing writing for everyone to read does is that it shows ourselves what we truly believe deep down.

Our time as editors comes to a close, but Herald blood runs through our veins and impacts every fiber of our beings and actions we take from here on. We count ourselves among the luckiest students on campus to have gained a base in journalism, ethics, teaching and more in a semester of incredible effort and learning.