About Us
The Front is the official, independent student newspaper of Western Washington University. News and opinion content is written, edited and published by students. Staff reporters are enrolled in a course in the department of journalism, but any student enrolled at Western may offer stories, photos or guest columns to the editors. The Front is primarily supported by student fees.
Please contact The Front’s editors with any questions, comments or concerns about this site or our coverage of Western, Bellingham and Whatcom County.
Want to submit a guest piece?
Check out these guidelines we created to help start a guest piece.
Please submit the final piece to westernfront.opeditor@gmail.com.
Want to advertise?
Direct inquiries to our advertising department.
advertise.thefront@gmail.com
Faculty adviser
Kie Relyea relyead@wwu.edu
Official social media accounts
Twitter: @TheFrontOnline
Facebook: The Western Front
Instagram: @thefrontonline
Fall 2023 Editorial Staff
Editor in Chief
Madisun Tobisch (she/her) is looking forward to wrapping up her time at Western this quarter. However, that also means this is her last quarter with The Front. After seven consecutive quarters with the publication, she's determined to make this quarter the best she's seen yet. Madisun plans to use her experience in student and professional newsrooms to lead this quarter's motivated group of editors and reporters toward their goal of comprehensive community coverage — on and off campus. When she's not in the newsroom, Madisun can be found messing with her camera, experimenting in the kitchen, or hanging out with her cats Leo and Owen Wilson.
She can be reached at eic.westernfront@gmail.com.
Managing Editor
Tallie Johnson (she/her) is the managing editor for The Front this quarter! She's a public relations journalism major. This is her last quarter at Western and marks a year of being a part of The Front in some capacity. Previously, she worked as a city life reporter, then editor. Most recently, she served as the opinion and outreach editor for summer quarter. As a writer, she enjoys covering arts and entertainment, local nonprofits and small businesses in Bellingham. You can also read her opinions on a variety of topics. Outside of the newsroom, you can find her spending time with friends, family, many animals, and starting (and often not finishing) multiple art and craft projects.
You can contact her at me.thefront@gmail.com.
City Life Editor
Eli Voorhies (he/him) is the city life editor for The Front this quarter. He worked as a reporter for the same beat in the spring. He is entering his third year at Western and is a pre-major in visual journalism. Outside of the newsroom, Eli enjoys yoga, climbing and photography.
City News Editor
Mia Limmer-Lai (she/her) is the city news editor for The Front this quarter. She is a second-year environmental journalism student at Western with a minor in honors interdisciplinary studies. In her free time, she enjoys reading books and listening to punk music.
Campus Life Editor
Aislinn Jones (she/her) is the campus life editor for The Front this quarter. She is a visual journalism student and this is her last year at Western. Previously, she was The Front's photo editor in winter 2022 and a student reporter during spring 2023, where she wrote about life in Bellingham and Whatcom County. Outside of the newsroom, she enjoys crocheting, hammocking on campus and scoping out new coffee shops!
Campus News Editor
Morgan Merriam (she/her) is the campus news editor for The Front this quarter. Previously, she has been a reporter for campus news, as well as managing editor of The Front this past summer quarter. Morgan is entering her third year at Western, majoring in journalism - public relations with a minor in sociology. Outside of the newsroom, she enjoys jewelry making, baking and hiking.
Sports Editor
Andrew Foster (he/him) is the sports editor for The Front this quarter. He is majoring in journalism and enjoys playing, watching and writing about basketball.
Opinion and Outreach Editor
Finn Kurtz (they/he) is the opinion and outreach editor for The Front this quarter. He is a history and political science double major and a journalism/news editorial minor in their fourth year at Western. In his free time, he enjoys looking in bookstores, going on walks in the woods and trivia.
Copy Desk
Maven Neumiller (she/they) is one of two copy editors for The Front this quarter. She's entering her second year at Western studying linguistics and Chinese, and spends her free time learning new languages, listening to music and getting lost in fantasy novels.
Aiden Luhr (he/him) is one of two copy editors for The Front this quarter.
Diversity and Inclusion Outreach Editor
Grace Shirk (she/they) is the diversity and inclusion outreach editor for The Front this quarter. They are a second year student hoping to major in English and anthropology. Grace is very passionate about ensuring proper equity practices in higher education and has been very involved in diversity work since starting university, attending conferences and working with administration to further ADEI on campus. In her free time, Grace enjoys spending time with her friends and partner, traveling, eating good food from all over the world, playing cozy simulation games, writing poetry and short stories and visiting large bodies of water.
You can contact Grace at graceshirk.thefront@gmail.com.
Public Editor
Sol Vandeman (they/she) is the public editor for The Front this quarter. They're a fourth-year majoring in public relations with a minor in women, gender and sexuality studies. Sol has been on The Front for over a year and is passionate about building relationships with the community. Outside of journalism, Sol enjoys doing drag and religiously listening to pop music.
You can contact them at pr.thefront@gmail.com.
Photo and Video Editor
Sam Bardsley (he/him) is the photo and video editor of The Front this quarter. While it is his first quarter at Western, he has experience with both photography and videography as he was previously in charge of his high school's video bulletin. He plans to use the skills and lessons he picked up there while working at The Front. When Sam isn't taking photos or editing videos, he can be found reading or coding in the library.
Social Media Editor
Savannah Jackola (she/her) is the social media editor for The Front this quarter. She is majoring in communications and minoring in policital science. When she's not doing school, you can find her advocating for sustaibability with Furniture Fest. She enjoys painting, reading and spending time with her favorite people.
Special Projects Editor
Reva Karnik (she/her) is the special projects editor for The Front this year. She is a fifth-year cell & molecular biology major and is a biology student ambassador. She was previously The Front's social media editor in winter and spring 2023. In her free time, she enjoys journaling, lifting at the rec and getting matcha with friends.
Visual Artist
Maren Duffy (she/her) is the visual artist at the Front this quarter. She is starting her third year at Western, majoring in biology with marine emphasis. Her hobbies include climbing outdoors and in the local rock gym and working in the San Juan Islands as a deckhand and naturalist on boats in the summer.
