To The Tiger’s Class of 2021…
In what has been arguably the most unthinkable year and a half of our lives to date, you – the graduating class of 2021 – have persevered. Not only have you kept your head above the water as a student, you have been able to manage the additional work that comes with serving the public on The Tiger.
Each of your reasons for joining this team are different. Some of you decided it would be beneficial experience, others as a fun alternative to your studies. Some of you had friends here before you joined, others made them along the way.
No matter what your initial inclination was, your choice was, without a doubt, the right one. We are forever thankful that you chose to make The Tiger a part of your Clemson experience.
From covering hot button political issues during a pandemic, to cultivating discussion throughout campus, to keeping the gears of The Tiger machine moving as the world came to halt – you have exceeded the expectations of many and left a mark for years to come.
I have been fortunate to have been a member of this team since last August, but your contributions to Clemson and The Tiger began long before that. Your name will be placed alongside the many before you in The Tiger’s 114-year archive – a permanent record of your contributions to this team.
This pandemic has been hard on all of us, some of us more than others. Words can barely describe the hardships we have all gone through and how our experiences will shape us going forward, but I only hope that it will all be for the better.
As we move back towards a semblance of normalcy, day by day and week by week, I wish each and every one of you the best in all that you do. You will always be a member of not only your Clemson family, but your Tiger Newspaper family.
I would like to leave you with a quote from an editorial published in one of the first issues of The Tiger on October 1, 1907:
Aside from all considerations of personal benefit, there is such a thing as college spirit. Every man should be willing to make a sacrifice for the good of his college. The success of failure of THE TIGER will not only affect the interests of the present Senior Class, but it will have a marked influence upon classes to come.
Your spirit and personal sacrifice for this team will not be forgotten, as your dedication and commitment are what have allowed for the success of The Tiger for years to come.
Thank you, congratulations, and best of luck in all of your future endeavors.
David Ferrara, Editor-in-Chief
