The Badger Herald began as an experiment.

We are edgy, against the current, constantly evolving, unrelenting — and the experiment is always ongoing.

Two years ago, The Badger Herald made the move to a digital-first model, cutting down to two print editions a week. Two years later, that model has seen success. We have developed a digital team that works on breaking news around the clock, a features section dedicated to long-form and investigative reporting and a social media presence that’s constantly growing.

We are independent student journalists, directly in tune with our readers and how they consume media, and we write and produce articles on issues we care about and would want to read ourselves.

The move to a weekly edition is only natural given our goals and our readership. It will foster creativity among the staff by continuing to move away from the stagnant structure of daily print newspapers.

Readers can expect more features across all sections. We’ll continue to push for longer, more in-depth stories and explainers, giving a wider view of student life. The weekly edition will tell students everything they need to know by recapping highlights of the past week and previewing what’s ahead.

We’ll also be expanding our video department, opening up a position for a banter editor to offer lighter news commentary and continuing to expand our social media presence.

As I step into the shoes of editor-in-chief, I’m excited to continue to push the organization forward. I feel privileged to have a staff that feels so passionately about the work they do.

They are people who immediately reroute to breaking news situations, develop supernatural abilities to function without sleep and fine-tune their beer chugging skills from Bozo Buckets.

Two months ago, as the city reeled from a fatal officer-involved shooting that killed a black teenager, I watched our staff drop everything to come together and work tirelessly through their weekend. We were one of the first media organizations at the scene, and our coverage was picked up both nationally and internationally — a testament to the importance of student journalism.

This is a staff that inspires and pushes me to work harder every day.

I also have to give a shoutout to outgoing Editor-in-Chief Tara Golshan and managing editors Katie Caron and Polo Rocha. They are mentors and friends. They provided endless laughs with their trolls, and I can honestly say they taught me everything I know about journalism.

I am delighted that Polo will be coming back as our social media coordinator next year, but Tara and Katie’s presence will be missed.

Flanking my side as managing editors will be Rachael Lallensack and Briana Reilly, both of whom bring constant sass and wit that keeps everyone in the office on their toes.

Our readers are constantly on the go and always consuming media. My biggest goal as editor-in-chief is to deliver our product in the form you prefer — whether that’s print, online, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat or video.

As the Herald’s experiment continues, we hope you’ll join us.