Hey, welcome to The Courser, The Accolade's official blog.

Unlike our sister site, we at The Courser can get a little emotional.  In fact, that's what sets us apart from SVU's online newspaper; as a blog, we can share our whole heart about a subject, if we so choose.  It is a newspaper's duty, first and foremost, to report the news as accurately, objectively, and quickly as possible, while searching for interesting, in-depth information that is not readily apparent to the average citizen.

We'll leave all of that to The Accolade.  As an official blog of The Accolade we still have a name to represent, and we will strive never to report on things that are not worthy of The Accolade News stamp of approval.  However, we feel like it would be interesting to our fellow Knights, as well as anyone else who reads The Accolade, to get a so-called "insider scoop" on many of the events that Accolade staff writers report on.  As a student-run operation, our staff is very much a part of the events on the SVU campus.  We have insights and ideas that we want to share.  A blog is a perfect place to collect the opinions, thoughts, and insider scoops of the campus without feeling too much pressure to be objective reporters.

We want discussion.  Another responsibility of a newspaper is to generate discussion within the community, and we hope that you find things on The Accolade which get you riled up or excited.  We  you take a few minutes to post a comment on those articles and editorials.

What if you want to do more than just comment?  That's where The Courser comes in.  We want you to be a part of the news.  We want you to submit blog posts to us (go visit the 'Want to Contribute?' page) because we think that every SVU Knight should have an opportunity to let their voice be heard.  We'll work with you one-on-one to get you a post on The Courser, if you're willing to work with us.

The Courser is working with groups and clubs on campus to provide informative and fun tabs on The Courser home page, which will hopefully be up and running within the next few weeks.  If you're a member of an on-campus club and have a great idea for a page on The Courser, feel free to email us.

We have a pretty amazing history here at SVU.  From all-girls school to junior college to liberal arts university, we've been constantly growing toward bigger and better things.  Even today we are still moving forward, tackling new challenges and passing new milestones.  Let's keep moving forward, keep making history.  It's the undeniable privilege of every SVU Knight to voice their opinion and strive to make a positive impact on this campus.

That is why The Courser was created; to give every student a way to exercise their privileged right to information and give them a forum to present their ideas.  We want to preserve the standard of bold progress that has shaped SVU's growth by pushing the student body to continue to refine themselves into leader-servants.  This, we believe, is the true genius of small, that individuals can be allowed a voice and a chance to make a lasting difference here.

So, celebrate the genius of small, and celebrate Southern Virginia University.  Celebrate the rich heritage that the Knights have inherited.  Be a leader-servant.  Make a difference.