We were built to be a nation of leaders who would empower others to become leaders themselves, a nation that would, at its core, seek and uphold the truth, and a nation that would revere it to encourage a higher standard that would elevate us all to our highest.

Today, we find ourselves a nation divided, not just on ideological or social terms, but seemingly now on the framework that defines our nation’s character.

We are now a nation of leaders and followers, a nation of truth seekers and liars, a nation of those willing to fight for the very principles that have made this nation as great as it’s been at its highest, and sadly, a nation of those who simply coward as those principles are attacked to put us at our lowest.

We find ourselves with a leader who lies daily to his followers, while attacking the truth and those willing to fight for it, leaving this nation to reach one of its lowest points in history.

Our leader, like many throughout mankind’s past that saw positions of power as weapons rather than as tools to empower others, has engaged in deliberate and direct attacks on the free press, coining the term “fake news” for the reality that surrounds him.

These attacks have not only been done with the intent to discredit one of the founding pillars of truth in our nation, but with the ultimate goal of silencing the truth completely, leaving this leader and those who serve his interest to shape the world to his sole benefit.

Our role as the free press is to keep the people informed by shining a constant spotlight on the truth, on the leaders people elect to lead them, and on the decisions those leaders take on behalf of the people.

That spotlight serves as a check to ensure elected leaders fulfill your interests as the public, rather than their own.

Simply put, our role is to empower you, the people, in your role within our democracy.

Those who seek to serve their personal interests can only strip you of your role and silence your voice by attacking the truth.

How will those who blindly follow and feed into his lies be remembered? How will history recall the will of those who chose to take a stand in the name of truth, while others chose to coward and enable further attacks on the free press?

We at SAC Media know where we stand.

Our newsroom takes a stand to be one of many defending the truth, shining that constant spotlight on it and the leaders who serve you, the student body, faculty and the rest of the community.

We take a stand to work our asses off to seek the truth, whether it be at long meetings where decisions affecting you are being made without your voice, or buried in the past under a pile of paperwork, left there by those who served their own interest.

We take a stand to fight lies against the truth, the real fake news, and strive not for awards or recognition, but for honesty and excellence in our reporting. Our awards and recognition over the years have come out of our drive to be honest with you and to achieve excellence by holding ourselves to a higher standard.

We do this for you.

That is the responsibility of all credible news sources in our democracy that uphold the truth, and when they are attacked, it is an attack on our democracy and on you.

So stand up with us. Spread the truth, stay informed and support the free press, because we are here for you.