Here at The Pitt News, words are important. If you didn’t already know that, either you or we are doing something wrong.

That’s why starting with today’s issue, we will no longer use the term freshman to identify students at large. We will now refer to new students as being first-year. We will continue to use the terms sophomore, junior and senior, as they are gender neutral.

Every student isn’t a man, so why should we use a label producing such connotation? Every student doesn’t identify as a man or a woman, either, and The Pitt News strives to represent all of the University’s students, not just the ones who align with the gender binary system.

So next time you speak with one of our reporters, tell them hello, your preferred pronoun and how many years you’ve hailed to Pitt. If you have an idea on how The Pitt News can better represent or inform you, reach out to me at [email protected].

Thanks for reading,

Danielle Fox

Editor-in-Chief