“Don’t let me say ‘yes,'” I commanded my roommate two years ago as I fell into bed exhausted after another day as the Accent news editor. “If they try to recruit me to be editor-in-chief, tell me to say ‘no.’”
I said “yes,” clearly. I eagerly applied for the position last year, and here I am, happy to say that I want to be editor-in-chief of the Southern Accent, even if I won’t be able to escape a few all-nighters or the eternal quest for improved layout design.
I am happy to take on this tremendous responsiblity because I am confident that this year’s Accent team will serve this campus and community to the best of its ability, as others teams have done for nearly a century.
We are dedicated to skillful and honest reporting. Our goals for this year include (but are not limited to) maintaining the professionalism and integrity of the paper, producing better visuals and increasing student engagement.
At its heart, the Southern Accent is a student newspaper, and our team strives to represent your voices and reveal truth about the issues you are concerned about. To find out how you can make your voice heard bys us, check out the promotion below.
Our team is also planning to expand our local coverage this year, an ambition inspired by our recent participation in the University of Vermont’s Center for Community News (CCN), an orgnaization created to decrease local news deserts by supporting student journalists. The Accent’s staff sponsor, Alva James-Johnson, professor in the School of Journalism and Communication, is one of 33 professors to be named a “faculty champion” by CCN. In five of our eleven newspaper issues this semester, readers can expect an extra two-page insert of in-depth stories about our rapidly growing community.
Just as journalism itself is conducive to democracy, student media is conducive to a university campus where truth is valued and ideas flow freely. I am grateful to be in a position where I can serve my campus using my passions and talents. I am so glad I said “yes.”
