The Baylor Lariat, the voice for the student body for the past 80 years, was silent. An empty newsroom was echoed only by the fateful last stand of the Feb. 22, 1980, editorial. But in the spring of 1980, the lights went out in the newsroom. Students still went to class, and Fountain Mall still hummed with springtime chatter — but the newsstands remained empty.

Serving as the editor-in-chief of The Lariat has been the greatest privilege of my college career. I never could have imagined how bittersweet it would be to unpin my prints from the board, design my last staff meeting presentation and pass my final story on Camayak. But here I am, shedding a tear or two writing this letter.

Applications to work for The Baylor Lariat next semester are open through April 22, so we thought we’d share some of our favorite parts about being on staff.

The bottom line is this: When we cover a controversial topic or event, it does not mean we condone or encourage it. And when an individual writes a controversial column or opinion, it does not mean we all identify with the beliefs expressed in that column or opinion.

To ban the use of an emerging technology simply out of fear will result in unfamiliarity with a tool of the future. Generative AI programs will not just disappear because educational institutions don’t like their capability for dishonesty.