You may have noticed that our fourth issue, scheduled for print on Nov. 3, never came out, and we apologize for that. Articles were still posted here on our website, and we encourage you to read and comment on them. However, we think you’ll like our reason for canceling this issue.
For many years, the editorial staff has discussed attending a journalism conference. Usually one of the NESCAC schools will host one, but for the past few years these conferences have been in Maine and brought along several scheduling conflicts. We even discussed hosting our own conference and inviting the Coast Guard Academy and Mitchell College, but we learned that neither of these institutions have newspapers similar to ours.
We realized that The College Voice has been living and working in isolation.
This year, the Associated Collegiate Press hosted its National College Media Convention in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. This convention, which usually hosts over 2,000 students and organizes nearly 350 workshops and seminars, seemed like the perfect opportunity to better incorporate The College Voice into the world of collegiate journalism and expose ourselves to more information and ideas than the Conn Bubble could provide. With the encouragement of our adviser, Professor Jim Downs, we decided to cancel our issue and use the usual printing costs for an issue to fund the trip. With additional funding from several College offices and administrators, we made our way to Philly this past Halloweekend.
One of our main goals at the conference was to meet and talk to staff members of other small-school newspapers. For as long as I’ve been on the Voice staff, I’ve looked at the newspapers from schools such as Cornell and Columbia and aimed to make our newspaper just like theirs. But how can our newspaper be compared to those? I wanted to know if other schools struggled in the ways we did, what tips they had and what stories they could tell.
The conference was both validating and eye-opening. Almost every newspaper staffer in attendance came from a school with a journalism program, and had an adviser (typically with prior experience working in the industry) who worked with them every step of the way, helping come up with pitches and giving approval on all articles. While we receive support from administrators and faculty, our editorial staff is, more or less, on their own in making decisions about what does and does not go to print. Though we have enjoyed this level of freedom through the years, it was only at this conference that we realized how unusual our process is. Students and advisors were shocked to find out that Ayla isn’t a journalism major, or even a communications major (neither of which we even offer), but an English major. I didn’t tell anyone that, as next year’s EIC, I’m an art and Slavic studies major.
When describing some of the challenges we’ve faced and the challenges we know are coming, one adviser said we’ve been fighting the good fight. It never occurred to me to call it that, we just try to keep ourselves afloat and have fun doing it, but looking back, that’s just what we’ve been doing. The odds have been stacked against us from day one.
We learned skills that no one had ever taught us before, including new interview techniques, lessons in leadership, fancy words like “libel” and “slander” as they relate to journalism and inspiration for design layout. Much of what they told us we knew only from gut intuition, so hearing professionals say we’ve been right was an incredible feeling. But we also learned we have many changes that need to be made. Many of these changes are long term, and won’t be finished by the end of this year, or even by the end of next year when I graduate. Even now, we are not sure what the nature of some of these big changes will be, or even if they are possible in our current environment, but I am hopeful as we start investigating our options.
The College Voice is quirky at best, atypical at worst. And you know, that isn’t a bad thing for a small college paper without many of the resources offered at larger, public universities. As much as we dream about it, being like The Crimson White at the University of Alabama isn’t quite in the cards for us.
When we compared issues of the Voice to other newspapers at the conference, we were proud to see that it held its own – many people even took copies. Conn is a unique school, and The College Voice is a unique production. We’ve published articles that deal with tiny cups, student-made igloos, $1 sushi and Harris creations. We’ve also discussed more important topics, such as sexual assault, hazing, LGBTQ rights and class invisibility on campus. We want to continue having a strong mix of articles that make you think and make you laugh, because, at least in my opinion, this is what makes The College Voice, The College Voice.
Ayla and I spent the entire weekend feeling both overwhelmed and invigorated, and ready to come back to school and tackle the final two issues of the semester before winter break. We want to thank Victor Arcelus, Dean of Student Life, and Pamela Dumas Serfes, Vice President for Communications, for their support in making this trip possible. And, of course, our adviser, Professor Downs, for encouraging us to follow through and continue “fighting the good fight,” wherever it may take us.
We have a lot of plans for the future, and we hope you stick with us.
— Dana
nice ed.