Staff Ed: The importance of student publications
Photo Courtesy of Brooke Klugewicz
A stack of newspapers is a familiar sight to everyone. The next time you pass a stack of newspapers, keep in mind just how many people and stories the papers contain!
Student journalism is an underrated aspect of what colleges have to offer. Whether you are an English major or not, student publications—especially The Lamron—are open to anyone who wishes to be a part of something special!
Since college newspapers are run by students, there is a heavier emphasis on issues that are actually relevant to the student body than can be found in more traditional newspapers. Whether it be an Opinion piece on the professionalism of iced coffee, a Knights’ Life piece on the new dining hall layouts, or an Arts and Entertainment piece on Taylor Swift’s new album—student publications offer stories that capture the attention of their peers.
Furthermore, student journalism is a factor that drives community building. In previous semesters, The Lamron has had the opportunity to write articles on various community topics. Whether it be a News article featuring the Geneseo “Save the Wall” campaign or one that features the Student Association President, Lucas Pastwik, The Lamron strives to highlight events that matter to the community. To that end, The Lamron would not be a complete student publication without a section dedicated to sports. Whether it be predictions on future matchups or recaps of SUNY Geneseo’s own sports teams, there is something for everyone.
Newspapers are a form of documentation and history; by writing, we are giving a voice to things that matter to us. Although some of our articles may be silly, many also deal with serious subject matters. For example, The Lamron has published articles on the situation in Sudan, the rape culture that has become normalized on college campuses, and how to vote. By publishing these articles, The Lamron is becoming a part of history. Our e-board works hard to ensure articles are accurate and that article topics are always handled sensitively.
Additionally, The Lamron provides a safe space for students to gather and broadcast ideas. College can be challenging and by having a community, students are able to find a brief escape from the outside expectations of being a college student. The community of The Lamron is a priority to our e-board because, as most of us know, you can end up finding some of your closest friends from attending a meeting! Whether it be the person you sit next to or one of our fantastic e-board members, there is a whole community of people waiting to meet you!
Although The Lamron works hard to ensure everything runs smoothly, there are also a plethora of problems that are inevitable. As students, there is a demand between balancing school work and the responsibilities for running a paper. However, our e-board makes it work each and every week—which is what makes The Lamron even more special; it is our choice to continue showing up. Every member of The Lamron puts in copious amounts of effort to ensure that our stories are relevant and get published weekly.
Student publications also open up the door for students to get involved in something that truly matters to them. The Lamron is always open to suggestions for article topics and always encourages students to write articles that they want to write. If you are interested in writing or have an article topic that you would like to see in the paper, come to our meetings Thursdays at 5 p.m. in our office or email lamron.eic@gmail.com!