ASU system president Todd Shields in an interview with Allie Carson, the editor-in-chief for the Herald.

To my fellow Red Wolves, 

Welcome to the first edition of The Herald for the 2026-2027 school year. My name is Allie Carson, and I’m honored to serve as your new Editor-In-Chief. This longstanding publication has given me a place to grow as a storyteller, journalist, and member of the A-State community. 

I started as a fresh staff writer who traveled all the way to Iowa State for a football game, to becoming the “thrown to the wolves” news editor, and now I’m honored to serve as Editor-in-Chief. Each new position has been exciting, and I’m so grateful for the opportunity to lead a team of talented student journalists in covering the stories that matter the most to you and the stories that deserve to be told. 

Being the Editor-in-Chief of The Herald is not a position I take lightly. I aim to continue the newspaper’s legacy and honor the trust placed in me by those who came before me and those who work alongside me. 

This issue’s theme doesn’t just revolve around the pack being back; it’s also about new beginnings. From freshmen moving into University Hall to the girls who just went through rush, from leadership changes in the Chancellor’s office to editorial changes here at The Herald, this issue features the new beginnings of many.

As the school year begins, I encourage you to make your voice part of The Herald. Send us your news tips, opinions, story ideas and even your pop culture reviews. Your voice is just as important as the words we write. Together, each edition, each volume, each issue, tells the story of Arkansas State University. 

I’d like to thank those who made this first issue possible. To my fellow editors, thanks for trusting me and working to put together an early issue. To our IT department, I appreciate your help getting our new computers set up and ready to use when our staff returned to campus. Thank you to those in Printing Services for helping us get the paper ready and printed on an odd schedule. 

Thank you to all of the sorority Vice Presidents of Recruitment and the NPC Recruitment team for working with me over the summer on the recruitment story feature. To those in the Chancellor’s office, thank you for scheduling meetings with Dr. Todd Shields and Dr. Calvin White, especially in the middle of historic administrative changes. Thank you to the athletic department for helping with our sports page during the summer. To everyone I didn’t name, but who helped in some way with this first issue, thank you for your help and support. 

Welcome to a new beginning at Arkansas State University and another year of The Herald. 

Your Editor-In-Chief,

Allie Carson

Categories: Opinion