The Hilltopper will always seek to serve the student body of Saint Anselm College by presenting respectful dialogue and factual reporting on issues and topics relevant to our community. We strive to be an unbiased and accurate news source for our fellow Anselmians, and in all instances, we will respect the dignity of individuals, and include marginalized voices. This has been our mission since we were founded in 2018, and it will continue to be our mission moving forward.
A year ago today, on April 10, 2019, I became the Editor In Chief of The Hilltopper. I was excited by the opportunity to pursue truth, investigate conflict, and report on the issues that matter to Saint Anselm College students. Since that time, however, Saint Anselm College and The Hilltopper have changed a great deal. I never could’ve imagined that we would be interviewing Abbott Mark and President Favazza about a legal battle between the Abbey Church and the Board of Trustees. I never could’ve imagined that we would report on the impeachment of President Trump. I never thought we would partner with The Saint Anselm Crier to host a debate, and I never could’ve imagined that our time on campus this year would be cut so short.
However, for The Hilltopper, perhaps the biggest change of all was our organization. For the first two years, The Hilltopper functioned mainly through its editors. Megan Miller ‘19 and Nick Fulchino ‘19 diligently worked to ensure that there was a steady stream of articles being published and that there was a viable platform for students to express their opinions and concerns. Starting in September, The Hilltopper was no longer entirely reliant upon the editor. The positions of Chief of Staff, Administrative Correspondent, On Campus News Coordinator, and Off-Campus News Coordinator were established with the hopes of increasing student participation and article output. In December, we expanded again, this time creating the positions of Student Government Correspondent, Communications Coordinator, and Director of Finance. By the start of the second semester, The Hilltopper had something it has never had before – an Executive Board. This team of student leaders met many times over the course of the year (and continues to meet) to discuss campus and community news, programming and partnerships with other clubs and organizations, and the future of The Hilltopper. The Executive Board has played an integral role in the operation of The Hilltopper, and it has given us a framework for the future.
In addition to the nearly forty articles written both by our staff and student contributors, The Hilltopper partnered with local organizations as well as Saint Anselm clubs to support our community and students. In November, we were one of many groups at Saint A’s that volunteered for The Manchester Marathon to support Veterans Count, an organization that supports military veterans and their families. In February, we partnered with The Saint Anselm Crier to host the first-ever Student Body Candidate Forum. In April, we had planned to support T.E.D.A (the True Equality and Dignity Alliance) at their annual Visibility Day celebration.
In looking to the future, I am optimistic. We will continue to support our fellow Anselmians and provide our college community with unbiased and accurate news. We will continue to respect the dignity of individuals, include marginalized voices, and support every student’s right to express their beliefs. We will continue to be a part of the Anselmian community for many years to come. Moving forward, we will need your help. If you’re interested in writing for The Hilltopper, you can contact us on our website (hilltopper.org) and through our social media (Instagram and Facebook: @thehilltopper, Twitter: Hilltopper_News). If you would like to financially support The Hilltopper and ensure that we can continue our mission, please email Renee Suhocki, our Director of Finance (rsuhocki338@anselm.edu).
Finally, I want to say thank you to our readers, our writers, our supporters, our partners, and our fellow Anselmians; The Hilltopper would not exist without you. Special thanks to President Joseph Favazza, Abbott Mark Cooper, The Saint Anselm Crier, and The Student Government Association.
We’re The Hilltopper, and we’re here to stay.
The Hilltopper 