Bridgewater, Va. – Never before have I been as proud of the BCVoice staff as I have been this semester. Staff members covered breaking news with vigor and excitement. They published news in a variety of modes of communication They expressed themselves eloquently and beautifully in our special issue. And they displayed encouraging and refreshing amounts of passion. 

The quality of the website and of the work on the website is a reflection of the team that develops the content that is published and of the team that crafts our publication — and I for one, am thrilled to get to build our news organization with such a talented and dedicated team. 

During our weekly BCVoice meeting, a staff member is honored for their noteworthy contributions to the organization. The award is called the Voice of the Week and the recipient is chosen by the student leadership team. 

Junior Jordan Davis, a communication studies major, was selected as Voice of the Week for her ability to accomplish whatever task is put before her. I appreciate Davis’s commitment to the organization and her willingness to help developing writers. Davis helps ensure that our weekly content is relevant and well-rounded. 

Junior Evan Maxey, a communication studies major, was selected as Voice of the Week for producing clear and concise sports articles. For every article that Maxey produces, comes original photos that he captured. Maxey’s attention to detail and work effort strengthens our sports writing team. 

Junior Sienna Sullivan, a professional writing and psychology double major, was selected as Voice of the Week for her captivating and eloquent style of writing. Sullivan is a team player who serves the organization very well with skill and flexibility. I appreciate the passion and observance of campus activities that Sullivan brings to BCVoice. 

Senior Ashley VanArsdale, an environmental science major, was selected as Voice of the Week for going beyond all expectations contributing  to BCVoice’s social media accounts. In addition, VanArsdale mastered the ability to produce news writing in one semester. VanArsdale is a valuable member to BCVoice for always contributing her very best work.  

Sophomore Nathan Good, a communication studies major, was selected as Voice of the Week for the outstanding quality of professional work that he contributes. Whether it is his writing or podcasts, Good is clearly an asset to BCVoice. Good is one of the staff members that makes my position an exciting one. 

Senior Cassidy Wagoner, a communication studies major, was selected as Voice of the Week for her willingness to tackle any article that needs covering. Wagoner is consistent and dedicated — which is reflected in her writing. It has been remarkable to see what her writing has accomplished over the last three semesters. 

Sophomore Abby Gaver, a computer science major, was selected as Voice of the Week for her consistent effort to the BCVoice website. Gaver voluntarily approached learning how to publish with grace and determination. Gaver’s behind-the-scenes work makes it possible for our news organization to function every week.    

Voice of the Year is the highest honor that BCVoice bestows on one exceedingly deserving member. Similar to Voice of the Week, the Voice of the Year recipient is selected by the student leadership team from the pool of members who have received the Voice of the Week award during the full 2020-2021 academic year. 

Senior Lexi Brown, a communication studies major, was selected as Voice of the Year for her unmatchable commitment to BCVoice. Brown made BCVoice a higher quality news organization this year especially in helping to shape and define a new component of the organization: video news. In the fall semester, she was among those who piloted the creation of BCVoice 360 which highlighted the news stories on the web. In the spring, she, along with her team of Jake Smith and Shayne Williamson, went further exploring the topics found in news stories and editorials and interviewing students and faculty. Brown is responsible for making BCVoice what it is and her dedication and passion have made all the difference to those she works with. 

As this academic year concludes for BCVoice, we begin to look toward a brand new year of bringing the BC community breaking news, sports coverage and video and audio content. While we will dearly miss our graduating seniors, I am confident that BCVoice will continue to grow as a quality news organization and will continue to produce news with substance and speed.