What does it take to stand the test of time? Throughout history, humans have come and gone, and the things that they built have likewise faded in our memory. In the scale of world history, this seems almost inevitable. But even so, how can we build things that last into the next generation and beyond?
I believe that in order to lay foundations that will remain past our own time, we must seek to always pursue what is good, true, and beautiful.
The Branding Iron has been in publication for more than 125 years, almost as long as the University itself. I think this is not just a coincidence and something that occurred by accident.
As stated in our first print of this semester, the Branding Iron aims to prioritize truth and transparency in all cases. Along with this, our job as journalists is to find the goodness and beauty in our work.
This isn’t at all easy or comfortable. Goodness is more than just nice feelings and fun events. It is good to uphold justice, it is good to uncover what is wrong, and to do so, it may be difficult to hear. Likewise, we will shine a light to ugly truths, but that beauty will outshine the sometimes harsh realities.
In our history, we have always aimed to do this, and I believe that this is the reason I am still able to write this today.
Moving forward, we aim to continue upholding these values, and I hope that you will do the same. Getting a degree is not easy, but I trust that the student who strives for these things will build something more valuable than just a diploma.
As humans, we won’t be here for 125 years, but what we do can last. The first journalists of the Branding Iron are gone, but what they built is still here. What you go on to do after your time here can last for many decades and perhaps centuries. All it takes is laying a strong foundation.
Will we fail sometimes? Yes, but laying this groundwork will take time and patience. Though it is hard, I believe that we will all be better for it. So I encourage you to always seek good, true, and beautiful things and we promise to do the same.
