By: Conner Williams Editor-in-Chief
Being called “chief” still sounds a bit weird, but I’m learning to embrace the change.
All of the things I have done in the past year have both humbled me and made me more confident at the same time.
I came to Western last fall thinking I was here to play football, but through an unexpected yet pleasant turn of events, I now find myself sitting in my own office in good old Terry House typing up my first column as chief of The Journal.
I wrote news stories for the majority of last year, and then shifted my writing abilities towards opinion pieces, and apparently I was decent at doing so, because I have been chosen as a finalist for the Associated Collegiate Press 2015 Story of the Year in the Opinion/Editorial section for my April opinion piece “Up in smoke: the ethical dilemmas of a convenience store clerk.”
There were ten students chosen from schools from all around the country, and some from much larger student media programs than ours. I am extremely humbled and gracious to have been chosen as a finalist, for it not only improves my confidence in my abilities as a writer, but it puts The Journal in the national spotlight, and that is something that I am very proud of.
I recently completed a 13 week internship with the Statesman Journal daily newspaper in Salem where I wrote and had published nearly 60 stories. I was asked to stay on as the Saturday reporter, so I will be spending the first day of my weekends in Salem beginning next week. My time at the SJ gave me an immeasurable amount of experience and knowledge in the realm of journalism, and I plan to utilize said experience to make The Journal the best it’s ever been.
The Journal is going to have a much larger online presence this year; our Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram pages will constantly have fresh content so that you, the reader, can get all your WOU news on platforms other than just print. However, I encourage everyone to pick up a print copy of The Journal every Friday, for there is just something about physically holding paper that allows for a more intellectual and emotional reading experience. Besides, newspapers are cool!
I am extremely excited for this year and for all of the content that will be accurate, engaging, and thoughtful. If you have suggestions for topics to cover, please do not hesitate to email me or pull me aside if you see me on campus.
As always, I encourage you to send in letters to the editor whether you agree with the topic or not. It is not a matter of right or wrong, it is about discussion and the exchanging of differing views and opinions.
With that being said, The Journal and I personally will be dedicating a significant amount of space towards coverage of the 2016 Presidential election as well as the Oregon Governor election. The Journal’s news team and I will do our best to cover all sides of the political spectrum in order to present an unbiased stance. However, our newly formed editorial team may take a certain stance on an issue or a person, as is its right to do so. I hope that this will allow for healthy discussion among those interested in political ideology.
Here’s to a great year, Go Wolves!
