For better or for worse, it's been a hell of a year. Internationally, the United States woke up this morning to its 666th day of violent conflict in Iraq. Nationally, November's presidential election heralded elation for half the country, and bitter disappointment for the rest. And the city of Philadelphia added to its skyline and its future with the construction of the Cira Centre and the plans to build the Comcast Center.
Things weren't exactly quiet here at Penn either. Last January's selection of former Princeton Provost Amy Gutmann marked the end of one era in Penn's history and the beginning of another. Last February, hundreds of members of Graduate Employees Together-University of Pennsylvania made waves by engaging in a two-day strike. In May, Bono gave the seniors a fantastic send-off, while in December, a confrontation between a Penn student and a Penn Police officer raised questions about profiling that echoed allegations raised by many after Rui DaSilva was apprehended outside of the Quadrangle not long ago.
Throughout the course of these developments, the staff of The Daily Pennsylvanian has remained at 4015 Walnut St., diligently working to put out the best paper possible. While we were rewarded for that hard work with our fourth straight Pacemaker Award, this is not an organization that chooses to rest on its laurels. It is a sure bet that the next group of editors and managers will be just as hungry, just as dedicated and just as committed to serving the University community as best they can.
Nonetheless, in the last year the 120th Board tried to carry on this organization's tradition of service to the Penn community. While we have had successes and failures, we have always worked hard to present the news of the day in a fair and unbiased manner. And we remain grateful for every single reader we've had over our tenure. In the end, you deserve the most applause, since without you we are quite literally nothing.
The office is already teeming with new faces, and while they have already learned the tricks of the trade, they refuse to be bound by the status quo. They have already made changes and will no doubt continue to improve upon the DP's legacy. They are ready.
They will not let you down.
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