Here at Cabrini, there are an endless amount of possibilities when it comes to joining clubs on campus. My freshman year, I found myself to be somewhat quiet and shy. I wasn’t really involved in anything other than just going to my classes each day.
Entering my sophomore year, I knew I wanted to change that. As a Digital Communication and Social Media major, I had the chance to take a year-long journalism course with Dr. Zurek. Little did I know, that course would form a passion within me.
I had some previous experience in the past with writing, but not the professional extent of a journalism class. While taking journalism at Cabrini you become a staff writer for the school newspaper, the Loquitur. As a part of the Loquitur staff, you are given the opportunity to write for each of the four different sections of the newspaper, News, Lifestyles, Perspectives, and Sports. Throughout the duration of the year, you switch from section to section every 6-8 weeks.
Thanks to switching sections, you are exposed to a variety of types of writing. In the News section, you get to cover on-campus issues, social justice topics, and anything that may be pressing in the current climate of the world. Lifestyles lets you express any interest you may have in movies, music, travel, and more. Perspectives you can address anything that you want while giving, of course, your “perspective” on a topic. Lastly, Sports, what I’m most passionate about, lets you cover Cabrini athletic games, Philadelphia sports topics, and athlete showcases.
Throughout my first semester as a staff writer, I gained valuable experience to help perfect my craft even further. When assistant editor applications opened up at the end of that semester, I knew I wanted to apply.
I was chosen to be an assistant sports editor for the spring 2018 semester for the Loquitur. I was overjoyed. I then moved up in the ranks to help Loquitur sports editor John Williams with assignment ideas, copy-editing, and the layout of the sports section.
As the spring semester was winding down, editor applications opened up for the 2018-2019 year. My fellow assistant editors and I had been learning the tools of the trade for months and were prepping to see what the next step was. I applied to be either the next editor-in-chief or a sports editor for the following year.
Interview day fast approached and I was more than eager to see what my future on the Loquitur staff may be. After going through the interview process, I was informed that I would be the next editor-in-chief of the Loquitur.
I was honestly somewhat shocked. I knew I was capable of it, but if you told me a year prior that I would be in this position I would’ve called you crazy.
After being named to the position, I was given the opportunity to fly down to the University of Georgia in the summer to attend the Management Seminar for College News Editors (MSCNE). At the seminar, I had the opportunity to meet some of the elite college editors and representatives from across the country. We attended classes that were taught by industry professionals each day to help better prepare us for the upcoming academic year. The trip even included a bus trip to Atlanta, where we met with professionals at CNN and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
After learning some valuable lessons at MSCNE, I returned to Cabrini ready more than ever to begin the semester as editor-in-chief. This current school year we have a writing staff of nearly 45, one of the largest to date. Learning to manage such a large staff has been quite the experience, but it has been a pleasure so far.
Alongside my fellow editors, we are nearing the halfway point of our editorial board career on the Loquitur. While it’s hard to believe we are already halfway through the year, I cannot be more thankful for the experiences being a part of this organization has given me.