Join student media: paid and non-paid positions open
Many of the current UCC student newspaper The Mainstream’s staff are moving on. Five merit award students who were paid to work on staff this year shared the benefits. These merit awards pay up to 12 credits worth of tuition per term.
Q: What does your position entail?
“Being the managing editor means that I am responsible for all facets of our publication. I run our meetings, assign stories, supervise revisions and give editing feedback on stories. I work with the design editor to make sure our print issues are formatted correctly and each story has a strong visual element. I work with the web editor to make sure each issue is put on the website correctly and work with the social media manager to make sure we share our content across social media platforms. I also write my own story for each issue, which is a lot of fun,” says Owen Cherry.
Q: Is there anything you would like to add concerning your position?
“The managing editor position is demanding and can be overwhelming, especially when just starting out at the beginning of the year. There is a lot to learn, but our faculty advisor Melinda gives tremendous support, instruction and advice,” says Owen Cherry.
Q: Why did you join the newspaper staff?
“I joined the Mainstream this year because I was looking for an opportunity to learn leadership and communication skills. I was considering getting involved with student government, but when I found the opportunity at the Mainstream, I chose that! The main factors affecting my decision were that I enjoy writing and editing and that we would create a finished product every two weeks, which I find very rewarding,” says Owen Cherry.
Q: Besides the merit award, how has your position benefitted you?
“I have learned so much about journalism, writing for the media and AP rules. Not only that, but I have learned about the rewards, challenges and responsibilities of leadership. Working in a leadership position has also been really great for my resume and has been a big boost with scholarship applications,” says Owen Cherry.
Q: What is your favorite part about the newspaper?
“My favorite part is the awesome staff I got to work with this year. Our editors are proactive and creative, our reporters have done great work, and it has been a joy to have such a productive team,” says Owen Cherry.
Q: What is the most memorable or funny experience?
“One comical aspect of this year has to do with the design editor, Boone Olson, and myself having similar first names. This has led to our faculty advisor calling us both ‘Bowen’ more often than not,” says Owen Cherry.
Q: What was the most challenging experience?
“The most challenging experience for me this year was our special issue that we produced in February. In it we talked to schools all across the nation about the cost and logistical burden of a shooting occurring at school. It was a tough story. People don’t enjoy discussing school shootings, so the whole staff had to work extra hard to get good interviews and find people willing to tell their stories. It was also a tough topic emotionally for several of us. UCC had its own shooting several years back and having lived through that makes the topic especially sensitive,” says Owen Cherry.
Q: What does your position entail?
“It’s my job to do the layout of the paper, process images and create graphics for the writers who need them for their stories,” says Boone Olson.
Q: Why did you join the newspaper staff?
“I joined the newspaper because my art teacher in high school showed me an email that had been forwarded to her; it was a call for applicants to the newspaper. I knew my proficiency in the Adobe suite would help me get an edge towards being the graphic design editor, and the money it provided looked pretty nice, so I applied. Thanks, Mrs. Eckman!” says Boone Olson.
Q: Besides the merit award, how has your position benefitted you?
“It made going to UCC fun; without this position, I’d just be a student coming and going to class week after week. I’ve also made many new friends with the wonderful people that are my co-workers,” says Boone Olson.
Q: What is your favorite part about the newspaper?
“I’d say doing layout normally, but the memory of just having fun with everyone on staff has to take the cake nowadays,” says Boone Olson.
Q: Would you recommend joining the newspaper to others?
“Absolutely, if you can roll with the deadlines and crunch times, you’ll find yourself a part of a wonderful community of people who you can always count on to have your back,” says Boone Olson.
Q: What is the most memorable or funny experience?
“The most memorable would certainly have to be doing the competition issue. There were a lot of complications during those two weeks, and the work was totally exhausting, but we got it done in the end,” says Boone Olson.
Q: Is there anything else you would like to add concerning the merit award or the newspaper in general?
“I will say the positives far, far outweigh any negatives you may encounter. To anyone on the fence, give it a shot. Especially since many of the current staff will be leaving after this term,” says Boone Olson.
Q: What does your position entail?
“That entails maintaining the website and uploading all new articles to the site. Also editing pictures to make sure that they are the right size and type,” says Patrick Thompson.
Q: Is there anything you would like to add concerning your position?
“Main thing that I would like to say about my position is that it sounds a lot harder than it really is. When I first got the position, I psyched myself out thinking that it was going to be a lot of work, and it for the most part really is not. There are a few times when it was harder than others, but for the most part it was easy,” says Patrick Thompson.
Q: Besides the merit award, how has your position benefitted you?
“I have met people that I would otherwise have not met,” says Patrick Thompson.
Q: What is your favorite part about the newspaper?
“It is nice being able to see your work out there. In my case seeing the articles up on the website,” says Patrick Thompson.
Q: Would you recommend joining the newspaper to others?
“As far as recommending joining the newspaper to others it would be yes and no. There are some people that I know that would do well working for the paper and there would be some people that I know that would not do well, it would all depend on the person. I would normally not do something like this but I lucked out and got the web editor position so I didn’t have to go and interview people. I don’t know if I would have been able to work in the paper if I have to do interviews,” says Patrick Thompson.
Q: What was the most challenging experience?
“The most challenging experience happened right at the start of the first term. I was updating some plugins and the whole website crashed. I had to find where the files were being stored (GoDaddy) and then find the plugin that was causing the issue and deleting it there before the website would start working again,” says Patrick Thompson.
Q: What does your position entail?
“My position is a lot more complicated than it sounds. For the social media part, I manage the Mainstream’s Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, making sure that all the stories end up on social media so that people can find them easier and in a timely manner. I also write a story for each issue and help with layout when there is a print newspaper,” says Katelyn Buxton.
Q: Is there anything you would like to add concerning your position?
“I like it because it has variety, I am not just doing social media or just writing articles or just helping layout the print paper. It’s kind of a jack-of-all trades position and I like variety,” says Katelyn Buxton.
Q: Besides the merit award, how has your position benefitted you?
“By teaching me to work with a lot of different personalities and realizing how amazing the scope of humanity is. That sounds really cheesy, but it’s just been a real learning experience to be able to work with all the different people that are a part of the Mainstream and get to know them, because they are all very interesting people, and I am glad that I made a lot of friends with them,” says Katelyn Buxton.
Q: Has your position changed you as a person?
“It’s been one of the first kind of management experiences I’ve had because I am in charge of one little part of the paper and so it’s helped me organize that and be better at managing my time not just for school but also with the time that the newspaper demands. Just learning to manage my time and get it all done when I don’t think I will,” says Katelyn Buxton.
Q: What is your favorite part about the newspaper?
“Working with everybody. I like the human element,” says Katelyn Buxton.
Q: Would you recommend joining the newspaper to others?
“I would absolutely recommend joining the newspaper to other people because it is a huge learning curve, but it also teaches you how to be a team player and in all likelihood make some new friends by doing so. It helps you learn a lot more about UCC. I had no idea of half of the stuff that goes on at the college before I started working at the Mainstream and so it has helped me learn more about UCC and care about school more than I would otherwise. Before I joined the paper I kind of kept my head down and kept to myself and only got in, did what I had to do, and got out and didn’t pay much attention to anything else. So, it’s helped me make UCC a more personal experience and make me miss it when I leave,” says Katelyn Buxton.
Q: What is the most memorable or funny experience?
“There was one day and I think it was fall term where Kamilah, Owen, and I had to make your first teasers and we had a lot of technical difficulties, but I just remember laughing so hard. I mean we were trying to do our jobs, but there was just so much ridiculous stuff happening that we couldn’t help it. I love that. It was so much fun,” says Katelyn Buxton.
Q: Is there anything else you would like to add concerning the merit award or the newspaper in general?
“I would say go for it if you are considering becoming part of the newspaper because I didn’t think I could do it, but I ended up being able to do it and as long as you work hard you will find that you can do it too,” says Katelyn Buxton.
Q: What does your position entail?
“I write news articles and try to do some videography when possible. This involves talking to multiple people working and going to school here on campus as well as reaching out to other parts of the Douglas County Community,” says Kamilah Mirza.
Q: Is there anything you would like to add concerning your position?
“The only thing I would advise other students about taking this role is that you have to work. I take it as seriously as I would another job and we must be willing to put in an effort in addition to our school studies,” says Kamilah Mirza.
Q: Why did you join the newspaper staff?
“I love writing and I wanted to get more involved with the community here. I’m not originally from Roseburg, so I wanted to know more about the people living here. I’ve really enjoyed this position,” says Kamilah Mirza.
Q: Besides the merit award, how has your position benefitted you?
“I’ve learned to write in completely new ways. AP style, or journalistic style, writing is different. I had never written like that before. I’ve also improved on my interviewing skills and have formed some great professional relationships on campus. This position has also had huge benefits to future job skills that I need for my career. I now understand a lot more about researching, public relations, website building and communicating with the public,” says Kamilah Mirza.
Q: Has your position changed you as a person?
“I would say that I am more open to people on campus and the college environment. I had been out of school for many years and was intimidated to return as an older student. I don’t feel that way at all now,” says Kamilah Mirza.
Q: What is your favorite part about the newspaper?
“My favorite part is seeing a printed piece or online article finished. It just feels satisfying to see I did something and that it’s published on a student publication,” says Kamilah Mirza.
Q: Would you recommend joining the newspaper to others?
“Absolutely, if you like to write and want to improve your college experience join the Mainstream,” says Kamilah Mirza.
Q: What is the most memorable or funny experience?
“My funniest memory is trying to film these reports, lots of things went wrong, there were lots of bloopers and laughs. I really enjoyed that,” says Kamilah Mirza.
Q: What was the most challenging experience?
“My most challenging experience was writing about the financial impacts of the October 1 shooting. That was very emotionally charged and at times hard to navigate. But I learned a lot from it, and I’m glad we came together to write such an in-depth piece,” says Kamilah Mirza.
Contact me at:
UCCMainstream@yahoo.com