A new title

This fall will mark my first semester as adviser to our campus news publication, The Mirror, which began publishing in 1919. I'll still be teaching classes, which is great, but I'm also excited about this new opportunity.

When I came to the University of Northern Colorado in the year 2000, The Mirror was thriving as an independent entity. I remember when it had close to 10 editors and many reporters. But thanks to the recession of 2008, a sinister rival paper that stole advertising and the general demise of newspapers, The Mirror dwindled to two editors and a few reporters last spring.

The journalism and media studies department faculty, in consultation with the student activities director, decided it would be best if the publication were moved back on campus. Many Mirror alums saw this as a death knell. 

But I see it as a new beginning. It's an opportunity for us to get many more journalism students involved. I'll be bringing The Mirror into several of my classes, and my students will write and edit the bulk of the material. There will also be a chance for non-journalism students to participate through practicum classes.

As of now, there are no plans for a printed paper. Instead, we will focus on providing content about UNC on our website and social media platforms. 

I am excited to see what my students and I can accomplish with this new system in place. We have a veteran reporter/editor as editor-in-chief, and we've got lots of talented students to serve as editors and reporter, so I know The Mirror will do well.  

I started my writing career at a campus paper, the Indiana Daily Student. I learned how to write by covering the tennis, swimming and baseball teams. Then I moved on to editorial writing. Finally, I served as copy desk chief. I'm not afraid to say that I learned more at the Daily Student than in any of my journalism classes. I'm not saying classes aren't important, but there's no substitute for covering a beat on a daily basis. Working at a student-run paper allows aspiring journalists to put into practice what they're learning in the classroom.

I graduated from college -- and the Daily Student -- more than 30 years ago. I worked in the journalism business, then I went back to school for a few years. I've spent the last 22 years helping to educate the next generation of journalists. I've come full circle, back to the campus paper after all.

As an adviser, it will be my job to guide students, not tell them what to publish. I hope I can get them excited about the news business. If I can only light that spark, they can do a lot of good for the campus community -- and learn a heck of a lot in the process.