Publications a result of teamwork

Amanda Alfanos, Editor-in-Chief

You may have seen me interviewing students at on-campus events, taking notes at Student Government Association meetings or walking out of the administration building fresh from an interview with university officials. I’m the editor-in-chief of OCU Student Publications.

On Sundays and Mondays, however, you might not see much of me. This is when I work with staff members to paginate (design) the newspaper. Final tweaks are made on Monday, before the pages are sent to the printer.

The final product of the newspaper is a result of team work. You may be curious to know how the process works.

1. Writers, photographers and columnists receive assignments for the week at our weekly staff meeting on Thursday
2. Staff members turn in their assignments by deadline at noon the following Tuesday
3. Stories and columns are copy edited by our copy editor and myself
4. Stories with corrections are returned to the writers and columnists
5. Writers and columnists send in their corrected work by noon on Friday
6. Pagination begins when corrected copy is received by page designers, editors and myself
7. Completed pages are due to the printer by 11 p.m. Monday
8. Repeat the following week

The Constellation yearbook, The Campus online, and the yearbook DVD also are a result of teamwork.

This might seem like a stressful process and at times it can be. But ultimately, it comes down to staying organized, maintaining professional relationships communication with staff members. I really enjoy my job. The media industry is anything but boring or typical. ‘News is new!’

Please do not hesitate to contribute news story ideas to your Student Publications staff. Call the newsroom at 405-208-6068.

Editor ‘loves’ work environment

Being the copy editor is not without its perks. While I am one the more disliked people on staff, I don’t really mind  it that much. Not because I like to be hated (and hated is an extremely strong word) honestly, I really just like where I work and whom I work with.

For instance, I am very good friends with just about all of the other editors. I have an awesome workspace and get to hang out with my friends when I’m in class and at work. It’s pretty grand.

I do have a lot of fun at work. I personally feel this is a great opportunity to have a job doing not only what I’m studying, but also something I really enjoy doing. My friends said my job eats all of my time, they aren’t wrong. I do spend as much time in the newsroom as I do in my apartment, sometimes a good deal more. But it’s not because I’m constantly working for Student Publications, I’m also usually doing some kind of work for class. I also just really love being in the newsroom.

So all in all, Student Publications can be a really frustrating place, it’s true. It’s not uncommon to hear yelling coming from the back of the Mass Communications Department. But at the same token it’s not uncommon to hear laughter and joking coming from the same place.

We have something most other places don’t have. All of our staff are friends with each other. We have classes together and we are friends outside of Walker Center. We all know the stress that goes along with our job and major and we can help each other through it. I’ve had other majors and I never anything like this before.

In short, I love it here.

Making tough choices

Donald Ashwood, Layout Editor

“Just because you can doesn’t mean you should.”

This common expression was a topic of serious discussion in the Student Publications newsroom this week.

Stu Pub staff, and ultimately members of the editorial board, decide what content will be covered in all our student media products including The Campus newspaper and its online component, The Campus online.

After determining what we believe is the most interesting story of the week, our editor-in-chief and opinion editor draft an editorial that states the views of the majority of the editorial board.

This week, we decided the editorial should focus on “Students work toward other degrees while pursuing music.” It was brought to our attention that unlike music students, dance students are not allowed, according to policy, to pursue double majors.

The Undergraduate Catalog states this is the case because of the “physically rigorous classes and rehearsals, performances, runouts, and tours” the dance programs require.

However, dance students are “strongly encouraged” to minor in other subjects.

Some students are less than satisfied with these regulations, but said students are not comfortable to express their concerns to the student media.

For the original editorial, a dance student spoke to our publication expressing her discontent with the departmental regulations that hinder dance students to double major.

Later, the student came to the newsroom asking to be referred to as an anonymous source, concerned about any repercussions the publication of the editorial could bring.

It is against Student Publications’ policy, as outlined in our Publication Manual, to quote anonymous sources.

We later became aware that the dance school has written documents outlining strict standards and procedures warning students about portraying the Ann Lacy School of American Dance and Arts Management in a negative light.

An excerpt from the document states:

“Since reputations are so important, a student who intentionally damages the reputation of another student, faculty member in Dance and Arts Management, or the Ann Lacy School of American Dance and Arts Management through a variety of means, including but not limited to writing, conversations, blog, or the Internet, may lose the privilege of being a student in Dance and Arts Management.

Students engaging in conduct detrimental to the reputation of the dance program, dance majors in general, Dance and Arts Management, or Oklahoma City University may be placed on conduct probation by the Dean.”

We then were confronted  with a difficult decision; run the student’s quotes or take her opinions out to avoid possible negative consequences?

The editor-in-chief guided by members of the editorial board decided against running the student’s opinions in the piece.

Our intention is not to damage anyone’s reputation. If certain information happens to place anyone in a negative light, but also happens to be the truth, it is our duty to report it.

The student media is not anyone’s public relations agency.

Students should be more careful when speaking out to the student media. Students should double check and make sure expressing their opinions will not bring them any negative outcomes.

If they wish not to be in student publications, they should be more careful when speaking to members of the student media.

As members of the media our one and only job is to report the truth and nothing but the truth. Just because we can print certain things doesn’t mean we should.

-Lizzy Valles, Associate Editor

Walking the Line

Behind the editor’s desk is back after a hiatus. We have decided that share the many challenges, funny happenings and interesting moments that take place. We wanted to give a behind the scenes look at Oklahoma City University’s Student Publications staff. This blog will feature commentary from all nine members of the Student Publications Editorial Board.

My name is Armand McCoy. I am the Advertising/Marketing Director for Student Publications. I handled all the advertising, marketing, external communications, and promotions for Student Publications. I also with the assistance of Lizzy Valles, associate editor run our social media properties.

This week we are working on a story about the fraternities on campus that has put myself and several of the other editors in an awkward place. The story covers the fraternities’ current academic performance that is not historically where they need to be. The OCU’s Men’s Interfraternity Council mandates a 3.0 GPA for all fraternities. I can remember back in the fall of 2007 when the standard was mandated. Some of editors are members of the affected organizations or have close ties to them. Where do we stand on the issue?

Do I try and protect my fraternity brothers or do I let the story run for all to see. I was up last night wondering what to do. I have decided to respectfully excuse personal connection from the issue and let it run its’ course. My hope is that the fraternities at OCU will take this in stride and use this a motivator to achieve.

Sincerely:

Armand D. McCoyAdvertising/Marketing Director.

Not to brag, but…

I don’t want to use this to brag about my staff, but sometimes its needed.

We attended the Oklahoma Collegiate Press Conference awards last week and won a number of honors. We had writers, photographers and designers all win individual awards. In addition, we won top honors in the newspaper, yearbook and Web site categories.

These aren’t a result of the work of a few. It takes a staff of about 20 people to make this happen. From the writers and photographers to the adviser and editors, it’s a team effort from start to finish. I want to congratulate everyone on my staff for their hard work that made these awards possible.

If this team environment is something you think you might be interested in, feel free to come by the mass communications department in Walker Center for Arts and Sciences and fill out an application.

End of the year doldrums

Besides the occasional upbeat event, such as “Big Event,” and “Splatter War,” it’s easy to find myself just wanting the year to be over. I think this is a problem that affects most of us on a college campus.

Of course the newspaper takes about three weeks off a year, and none after Spring Break. I may not like forcing myself to come into work and be productive, but I can do it thanks to a set of notes I remind myself during the day.

1. It’s the Spring, the weather is getting nice. Get your work done so you can enjoy it.

2. Just finish (insert duty here) and you can take a break.

3. At least I still have a job; not a given in today’s world.

4. As far as jobs go, it could be a lot worse.

5. I love the newspaper!

Believe it or not, these things are what help me pick myself up when I need it. 

What ways do you keep yourself engaged at work?

Life interfering with work

I don’t know about you, but I hate it when parts of my life interfere with my plans at work.

This week, for instance, I planned on accomplishing a lot on Friday. Of course I wake up with some sort of illness and I completely lost my voice. This doesn’t help the newspaper get done. Doesn’t it always seem the irony gods strike you down with a severe cold when you need to work?

Of course part of being a good employee is learning to work around things like colds. I tried to do some work from my room today, but my Wii called me away. That, and the whole being sick and just wanting to sleep thing.

How do you guys adjust your schedules to get everything done when you are sick?

The state of general education

Many students, faculty and administrators have raised concerns with the state of general education at OCU. Student Senators are working with administration to address the issue and there are many opinions to go around about what needs to be done.

In the recent editorial we ran in The Campus we encouraged students to have their voices heard by participating in SGA’s online survey. The reason we did so is that this an issue that affects all of us as members of the OCU community. 

Administrators want what’s best for OCU. They care what students have to say and while they may not necessarily do exactly what students say, I have confidence they will listen to you. So make your opinion known and give them feedback by taking the survey.

For more information about what is being discussed about general education, or if you just have no idea what I’m talking about,make sure to pick up an issue of The Campus.

Thinking about Spring Break

You might ask why I’m thinking about Spring Break already? The answer is that I have to already plan for it. 

At the newspaper we have what we call a “budget.” In newspaper language, the budget is the schedule of all the stories running for the next few weeks. I just got finished budgeting the stories for the March 12 issue, the issue before Spring Break. 

It is important that I budget this in advance because our staff writers need at least two weeks notice to ensure they have enough time to do the stories.

The other problem Spring Break can pose is the issue after Spring Break. All the copy has to be turned in before Spring Break so we can do the issue right before we start back to school. This requires me to plan at least 3 weeks in advance for the issue.

It reminds me of the boy scout motto “be prepared.”

So when you pick up a copy of the newspaper the week after Spring Break, remember that the writers have worked weeks in advance on those stories.

Taking a stance

Members of the Student Publications Editorial Board were just at upset at the racist act that occurred in the library last week as most students were. I’ll try to explain why we made the decisions we did in our coverage of it.

In our editorial that appeared in the Feb. 11 issue of The Campus, we take the stance that the administration should have done a better job communicating with students about the incident. A couple of the reasons that led us to take that stance include:

- We heard the rumors flying around about the incident, which seemed to grow wilder every day after the incident. These rumors could have been easily addressed if the administration had responded to students before President McDaniel’s campuswide e-mail on Friday, Feb. 6.

- The administration had set a precedent for this type of incident. When the Westboro Baptist Church came to campus in the Fall to protest an OCU production, the administration did a very good job informing students of the situation and preparing them.

But we didn’t just want to put our opinion in the newspaper, so we talked to dozens of people who told us their thoughts about the incident.

We wanted to get the opinions of other campus leaders, so we asked Jeff Riles, Student Government Association president, and Professor Jody Horn, to write columns for the newspaper sharing their thoughts about the crime. 

We talked to students. We interviewed a number of students and officials on campus so we could present a clear picture of the situation to the students and inform administrators of student opinion on the subject.

I hope you think we treated this issue with the thoroughness and seriousness it deserved.

If you have no idea what I’m talking about, remember to grab a copy of the newspaper on your way to class and read all about it.

 

- Corbin Hosler