Thank you for picking up a copy of the Ferris State Torch! If you’re a returning reader, welcome back! If you’re joining us for the first time, I’m glad we’ve piqued your interest! Those that know us were probably expecting to see the Lifestyles section when they flipped to page five, however, it’s been replaced with the Culture section.
We decided to make this change for a few reasons. Primarily, we decided to make the change to be more inclusive. There are more than 11,000 unique students, staff and faculty that make up the Ferris community, and we wanted to create a platform where we could share their stories however we saw fit.
Furthermore, the moniker “Lifestyles” was really limiting due to its implications. It felt wrong to place stories regarding topics like race, sexuality, gender, religion and disabilities under a title that implies these things are active choices in our lives and not just part of who we are. We want to foster an environment that is welcoming to everyone, not one that invalidates who we are before we even look past the section header.
We want to amplify the voices and stories of the Ferris community, and this update may just be a single word, but we hope this change shows you we are committed to serving you, our readers the best content we can in the most inviting and comfortable way possible.
Continue on with Culture Editor Guiliana’s column “and where we’re going”