Being part of a student newspaper comes with many challenges. We talk about these in editorials sometimes — maintaining funding, readership, staff, and organizational relationships, and other things that make us sip Pepto-Bismol. What we don’t often acknowledge, though, is the person who has supported us through every panic and misprint. His name is Ron Bishop.
Professor Bishop has been an advisor to us in several capacities over many years. He’s not just the person who signs our administrative forms — he’s someone we’ve consistently relied on for advice, encouragement and hope. Sometimes his job involves helping us with journalistic nuance. Sometimes it’s just telling us we’re doing a good job, and that he’s proud — which is of equal if not greater importance.
We’re writing this now because Professor Bishop’s tenure as our advisor is coming to a close. He has a beautiful family who needs his attention a lot more than we do right now. (If you haven’t read his book “Holding Up the Sky Together” about said family, and the conversation surrounding people with intellectual disabilities, we recommend it — our own bias notwithstanding). We’ve thanked him a hundred times for all that he’s done for us, but it didn’t feel like enough. So we’re thanking him here too.
Thanks for advising us, looking out for us, and reassuring us. Thanks for standing by us when others didn’t. Thanks for the frantic phone calls, the late night emails, and the unyielding patience as we learned and grew. While we’re at it, thanks for everything in between.
It’s been a challenging and amazing time. We wish you and your family only happiness and good things.
From your students — and your friends,
The Triangle Editorial Board & Staff
Last week, the editorial stated that President Fry’s contract had been renewed for ten years. This was incorrect — it has been renewed for five. The Triangle regrets this error.