“Go West, young man” is one of the most commonly quoted sayings from 19th-century United States (U.S.), wherein people held the belief that they were destined to expand across the continent. In this sense, this phrase initially symbolized growth and development, bearing a generally positive connotation.

As time passed by, however, the very same phrase has changed to mean something completely different. Nowadays, “go west” is more often used to signify something that has taken a negative turn, sometimes even used as a euphemism for death.

In many instances, it is the context of a situation that shapes the way a phrase can be interpreted and double-entendres like such allow for a myriad of takes on news reporting. Inspired by this, the April issue of The Granite Tower (GT) is our reporters’ outlook on different news topics and how they go west.

The different articles in each section offer a variety of interpretation, some literal, some poetical, some erudite, and some commonplace. Above all, at the core of our this month’s issue, our reporters explore the situation surrounding the pandemic—what has now become the center of the world’s attention—and the different ways circumstances are going west, or have gone west.

Our 500th edition encompasses all the directions that a story could be told in hopes of shedding some light on issues that are equally as important as those that have been dominating headlines the past few weeks. On this note, our team wishes for nothing more than the well-being of our readers.