In a year unlike any other, The Slate staff has adapted to continue its mission of serving the Shippensburg community.

From Shippensburg University students and officials grappling with the financial and social impacts of coronavirus, to SU announcing its return to campus and an unconventional 2020 graduation, The Slate staff continued to cover breaking news stories.

The Slate staff’s year started out like any other – students returned from winter break and published seven physical papers before leaving for spring break in mid-March.

Then the COVID-19 coronavirus took over the headlines and forced SU officials to move the remainder of the semester online. The Slate also moved fully online. The organization’s hard-working, dedicated staff continued to provide breaking news, entertainment and investigative journalism from their own homes across the region.

As the semester drew to a close, Slate journalists continued to cover the socially distanced campus community. Theslateonline.com drew record views and site visits on June 15, when SU announced its plans for the fall semester. The website saw similar numbers during the delayed spring commencement ceremony in August.

Staff members returned to the newsroom during the fall 2020 semester and produced 12 editions including a special insert tribute to the class of 2020.

The Slate staff is looking forward to continuing its service to the Shippensburg and SU communities, and wishes all of its readers a healthy and happy new year.

Here are each section’s top five stories for 2020 based on its website tracking data:

News

1. Shippensburg University announces plans for fall semester
2. Noam Chomsky discusses coronavirus, Trump, socio-political issues with Shippensburg University students
3. Former student files sexual harassment against Shippensburg University
4. Your World Today: Four changes Shippensburg University must make to protect students’ freedoms
5. Shippensburg University modifies food service for current, future semesters

Opinion

1. Commentary: Puerto Rico will become a state
2. The Slate Speaks: The fate of Centralia’s Graffiti Highway
3. Commentary: All lives will not matter until Black lives matter
4. Commentary: Black culture should be celebrated, appreciated, not appropriated
5. The Slate Speaks: From graduates: ‘Ship this isn’t it’

Ship Life

1. ShipTalks: How to maintain friendships while you quarantine
2. Recipe of the Week: Banana Bread
3. Finding love during COVID-19: The ups and downs of gaining a partner
4. Recipe of the Week: Jalapeño popper dip
5. SU student serves community one stitch at a time

A&E

1. Review: ‘The Social Dilemma’ reveals shocking truth of cell phone, social media usage
2. Review: Even ‘South Park’ can’t handle 2020 in the messy hour-long special
3. Review: AJR’s ‘Bummerland’ encourages audiences to look on the brightside
4. Commentary: How do the people of Paris feel about ‘Emily in Paris’
5. Review: ‘The Great Pretender’ named one of the best animes in 2020 to land on Netflix

Sports

1. Former SU wide-receiver Kyle Haines looking for opportunity in NFL
2. SU alumna Spence Gracey continues to pursue dream of becoming an Olympic runner
3. Ireland native Nealon looks to make impact with Raiders
4. Former SU wideouts Eubanks, Headen, patiently searching for new home in NCAA transfer portal
5. SU athletes in state of limbo, limited by NCAA regulations

Multimedia

1. Gallery: A pandemic’s impact: Shippensburg University’s campus
2. Black Lives Matter Demonstration
3. Gallery: Shippensburg celebrates the Class of 2020 in drive-in commencement ceremony
4. Gallery: Students return to campus
5. Gallery: Shippensburg University Homecoming 2020

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