Final Thoughts from a First-Time Concordian Staff Writer

What a bittersweet sensation. With Christmas on the horizon and the semester falling behind us, I am left with warm memories. This was my first semester writing for the Concordian, and what an experience it has been. It was a challenge at first. Writing two news stories a week was at times very stressful. But it was worth it. It is an experience I would recommend. I learned so much from my time with the Concordian.

    The friendships you make will benefit you in the future. In the Concordian workshop, our classes are more like weekly group discussions. We brainstorm story ideas and use each other as sounding boards. Through this, we grow stronger as writers, journalists, and friends.

    Your writing skills will flourish. As previously mentioned, staff writers for the Concordian must complete two stories every week. Learning how to be responsible for meeting a deadline is a skill that will help you in your educational career and your life outside of college. And the more you write, the less challenging it will become. The quality of your writing will improve and writing will become easier for you.

    You will make connections. You are encouraged in class to interview multiple people within a news story. By doing this, you will meet new friends and build relationships with them. Networking with contacts is your friend. These people could possibly see your talent as an investigative journalist and from that could come job offers and more. So mastering your craft now, will benefit you in the future.

    Ms. Williams teaches this class and tells prospective students, “First, The Concordian is open to all majors. So, if you have a passion for writing, covering events or issues and being involved in the campus community, the newspaper is for you!  We are always looking for students that can contribute something new to the paper. This semester The Concordian ran a few new series, i.e. the Problems for Asian Students series, the Scholarly Must-Reads and Small Business series. We also ran some other fun articles like the History of the Holiday pieces and a variety of Opinion pieces. Additionally, we are always looking for students interested in covering Sports.”

    Williams goes on to say, “Most importantly, The Concordian is dedicated to covering campus news and reporting in a fair and accurate way. The staff covered a wide range of topics, from the many guest lectures, the election, Homecoming and so many other events and issues.  I am so proud of my staff this semester. They have worked really hard to provide the campus’ students, faculty and staff, as well as community members, the latest campus news. I definitely held them to a high standard and had certain expectations of them in their reporting. They definitely tackled some hard issues and really searched for what was newsworthy and what they thought the campus community needed to know and understand. At the same time, they did have fun with some of the pieces that they wrote.”

    Even if you do not see a future for yourself in journalism, the skills you learn in this class will transfer to your outside life. So maybe you need one more hour of class credit on your schedule. Maybe you want to improve your writing skills. Maybe you want to meet new friends, make new contacts, and expand your circle of friends; whatever your reason may be, I encourage you to sign up for the Concordian workshop. The Concordian meets every Monday from 3:00-3:50. The CRN number is 20532.

    In Williams’ own words, “This is truly a great experience for those looking to meet and talk with new people, both in the newsroom and from your stories, getting  more involved in the campus community and events and having the privilege to report on things that may have not otherwise been known. Plus, you never know how it may help you in your major or later on in your career.”

    Williams continues, “I encourage anyone who has a passion for writing and passion for covering campus news and events to give The Concordian a try! If you have any further questions or would like additional information, I can be reached at hmwilliams@concord.edu or by phone 304-384-5303.”