2008 Woodie Awards
Out with the old ... in with the new
Vanguard a learning experience
April Havens
Outgoing Editor in Chief
Issue date: 4/23/07 Section: Opinion
- Page 1 of 1
With first-hand experience, I can assure everyone that keeping a student newspaper afloat is not an easy task.
With student writers coming and going, possibly flaking out on essential stories and often churning out unreadable copy, student editors are left to fend for themselves, but this year my upstanding staff embraced the difficult task.
Every article we printed in The Vanguard was meant to inform student readers and make them more knowledgeable about a range of issues affecting them. Whether it was Board of Trustees meetings, a well-played Jag sporting event, an entertaining summer fashion review or a harsh editorial to raise awareness about issues we thought were imperative to students, the staff of The Vanguard took great pride in presenting the student body with a weekly publication catered to students' needs.
We attempted and were mostly successful, I believe, at making the USA administration accountable for their decisions that affected students throughout the academic year. We tried to ask the tough questions and get the right answers, and, when we saw fit, we made suggestions for improvement.
Serving as editor in chief has reinforced my passion for journalism and informing the public. I learned more working for this student newspaper than I did in any journalism course, and I encourage EVERY print journalism student to get involved with it in some capacity.
Working for The Vanguard gives you real-world experience with interviewing, writing, editing (if you do it right!), making professional contacts and dealing with reader feedback about your work.
The lessons learned here are indispensable, but only if taken seriously, with time and effort taken for each piece written. Drivel is useless even if it is in print, and it's an insult to the student body to present worthless content for the student paper. Even when contributors were scarce, we tried to maintain a quality publication.
Countless hours went into making this a quality paper, and I am extremely pleased with the product we put out each week. Thanks to the faculty and staff who enthusiastically returned our interview inquiries, and I encourage those who were not so accommodating to be more open with incoming editor Jason Shepard and his staff.
Lastly, thanks to my hardworking editors, senior reporters and other contributors for making this year an enjoyable experience and putting out a product that we can be proud of.
With student writers coming and going, possibly flaking out on essential stories and often churning out unreadable copy, student editors are left to fend for themselves, but this year my upstanding staff embraced the difficult task.
Every article we printed in The Vanguard was meant to inform student readers and make them more knowledgeable about a range of issues affecting them. Whether it was Board of Trustees meetings, a well-played Jag sporting event, an entertaining summer fashion review or a harsh editorial to raise awareness about issues we thought were imperative to students, the staff of The Vanguard took great pride in presenting the student body with a weekly publication catered to students' needs.
We attempted and were mostly successful, I believe, at making the USA administration accountable for their decisions that affected students throughout the academic year. We tried to ask the tough questions and get the right answers, and, when we saw fit, we made suggestions for improvement.
Serving as editor in chief has reinforced my passion for journalism and informing the public. I learned more working for this student newspaper than I did in any journalism course, and I encourage EVERY print journalism student to get involved with it in some capacity.
Working for The Vanguard gives you real-world experience with interviewing, writing, editing (if you do it right!), making professional contacts and dealing with reader feedback about your work.
The lessons learned here are indispensable, but only if taken seriously, with time and effort taken for each piece written. Drivel is useless even if it is in print, and it's an insult to the student body to present worthless content for the student paper. Even when contributors were scarce, we tried to maintain a quality publication.
Countless hours went into making this a quality paper, and I am extremely pleased with the product we put out each week. Thanks to the faculty and staff who enthusiastically returned our interview inquiries, and I encourage those who were not so accommodating to be more open with incoming editor Jason Shepard and his staff.
Lastly, thanks to my hardworking editors, senior reporters and other contributors for making this year an enjoyable experience and putting out a product that we can be proud of.
Be the first to comment on this story