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.
After review of the above guidelines, submit this form indicating your agreement to The Front's guest piece guidelines.
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
Facebook: The Western Front
Instagram: @thefrontonline
Winter 2026 Editorial Staff
Editor-in-Chief
Aidan Hadley (he/him) is a fourth-year journalism major, creative writing minor, and the editor-in-chief for The Front. When he's not in the newsroom, you can find him making frequent trips to the grocery store, cursing out the rain or staying warm under probably too many blankets.
You can reach him at aidanh.thefront@gmail.com.
Managing Editor
Neisha Gaskins (she/her) is the managing editor for The Front. Majoring in news/editorial journalism, she's in her fourth year at Western. With a passion for local news, Neisha has also worked with the Salish Current and Skagit Valley Herald. When she isn't writing, Neisha can also be found curating outfits, gawking at the moon or dancing with friends.
You can reach her at neishag.thefront@gmail.com.
Campus Life Editor
Brenna Witchey (she/her) is the campus life editor for The Front this quarter. She is a fourth-year news/editorial journalism major and English minor. When she's not editing, she's most likely at the gym or watching old episodes of Kitchen Nightmares.
You can reach her at brennawitchey.thefront@gmail.com.
Campus News Editor
Ellie Wright (she/her) is a journalism and political science major at Western. She is the editor for the campus news section of The Front. When she's not working, she enjoys reading, hiking and taking care of her garden.
You can reach her at ellie.thefront@gmail.com.
Sports and Recreation Editor
Jonah Billings (he/him) is the sports and recreation editor for The Front. He is a third-year Western student majoring in journalism and history. In addition, he is a member of Western’s varsity cross-country and track and field teams. He enjoys running, reading and spending time with friends.
You can reach him at jonahbillings.thefront@gmail.com.
City Life Editor
Madelyn Jones (she/her) is the city life editor for The Front this quarter. She is a fifth-year news/editorial journalism major and anthropology minor, and a returning editor for The Front. When she's not working on a story, you can find her staying cozy with a good book, listening to vinyl and hanging out with her cats.
You can reach her at madelynjones.thefront@gmail.com.
City News Editor
Kristina Mendoza (she/they) is a fifth-year visual journalism major at Western Washington University. She has worked for The Front for over a year, formerly as a graphic artist/designer. With the start of the new school year, she is assuming a new role as a city news editor for the publication. She’s passionate about creating visually dynamic layouts and designs that make written communication more accessible for readers. In her downtime, she enjoys hiking, knitting, sketching, and painting.
You can reach her at kristinamendoza.thefront@gmail.com.
Opinions Editor
Ruby Clemons (she/her) is the opinions editor for The Front. She is a fourth-year English major with a double emphasis in creative writing and film studies. When she's not happily editing new and exciting stories, you can find her rewatching episodes of Psych and attempting to master the silks in her aerial classes.
You can reach her at rubyclemons.thefront@gmail.com.
Photo and Video Editor
Natalie Jones (she/they) is the photography/videography editor for The Front this quarter. She is a fourth-year visual journalism major and anthropology minor. Outside of the newsroom, Natalie likes to chef it up with friends, go on Wikipedia deep dives and partake in various crafty hobbies.
You can reach her at nataliejones.thefront@gmail.com.
Copy Desk Editors
Piper Raupp (she/her) is a copy desk editor for The Front this quarter. She is in her fourth year at Western, majoring in English with an emphasis in creative writing. When she’s not writing, you can find her spending time with her cats, Skye and Miwa, or reading a murder mystery.
You can reach her at piperraupp.thefront@gmail.com.
Sean Lynch (he/him) is a copy editor for The Front this quarter. He is a fourth-year visual journalism major. When he's not editing, he enjoys shooting hoops, skateboarding and playing Kendama.
You can reach him at seanlynch.thefront@gmail.com.
Visual Artist
Julia Chapman (she/her) is the visual artist for The Front this quarter. She is a fourth-year studio art major, with emphasis in painting and drawing. In her free time, you can find her writing and illustrating comics, playing video games, or drinking a foamy cappuccino.
You can reach her at juliachapman.thefront@gmail.com.
Social Media Editor
Meladie Young (she/her) is the social media editor for The Front. She is in her fourth year at Western, majoring in public relations. Meladie has published work in The Front and the Klipsun Magazine, as well as working with WWU Athletics as a photographer. She is also the PR manager for WWU Ice Hockey. In her free time, you can find her with her camera or watching hockey.
You can reach her at meladieyoung.thefront@gmail.com.
