A Skyline Year in Review of 2023
Photo by Joh Covington
By Dawson Beard, Skyline Desk Chief
ALPINE - Another year has come and gone. As we patiently await what 2024 has in store, let’s take a look at what happened over the last year.
2023 was filled with significant events that could impact the year ahead for Sul Ross students and the community at large.
In 2023, Sul Ross:
Was given $30 million to build a new campus in Eagle Pass.
Received a Title V grant allowing the university to provide personal health items for SRSU students.
Saw efforts by SRSU professors to combat the rapidly-advancing presence of AI (namely ChatGPT) in their classrooms.
Created the Office of Multicultural Affairs following Texas legislation that forced the closure of the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.
Hosted two well-received Sul Ross Theatre productions in “Silent Sky” and “Oleanna.”
Partnered with Ops Med Group to offer students quick and affordable healthcare.
Saw Dr. Kathy Stein become the first Assistant Dean of Student Success following the launch of a Sul Ross initiative to aid in student success and retention.
There were also significant achievements by Skyline staff in 2023:
Skyline Editor Brooke Manuel won first place at the 2023 Texas Intercollegiate Press Association conference in General News for a story on student anxiety over returning to classes after the Uvalde shooting.
Former Skyline Cartoonist, Kris Porter, won third place in the editorial cartoon category at the TIPA conference.
Dawson Beard was named the new Desk Chief of the Skyline in November.
Despite the difficulties presented by only having four reporters on staff, the Skyline consistently managed to produce quality news stories, both on our website and in our print editions.
Many people seem to view 2023 as a write-off year, choosing to brush it off in hopes of a more eventful 2024, but as we look back at 2023 and all it brought, it is hard to ignore the multitude of changes that will undoubtedly carry over into the new year.