Getting back into the swing of things

For the spring semester of 2023, I am doing a practicum with Point Park University's student-run newspaper The Globe. As editor-elect, my position entails many things. I mainly job shadow the editor-in-chief, as that is the position I will be assuming in the fall semester of 2023. I also write articles across all sections, which are news, features, arts and entertainment, opinions, and sports. I also take photos for news stories. My weekly responsibilities include writing the news brief and The Globe's Point, which is a column written from the staff's perspective on issues and events happening across campus and in the Pittsburgh area. I also help lead weekly pitch meetings and layout sessions. I plan to clean and organize the office, as well as create online folders, which will be updated as needed, with important contact information for stories, writing guidelines, and frequently used pictures for reference for writers and staff.

This week, my time was spent preparing for the first issue of the spring semester with the staff, which was interesting to do as we were still on winter break. I had to come up with and write a news story all on Sunday and Monday before our pitch meeting and layout session on Monday afternoon, which was a little difficult as I returned from break on Sunday afternoon. I also had to write the Globe's Point and the news brief, so I decided to tie the news article in the theme of these pieces, students returning to campus after a long break and the new COVID-19 variant. Check out the piece here! Also, here is the Globe's Point for the week. The news briefs are only published in print, and copies can be found throughout campus.

During the layout session, I showed the new News editor how a typical layout session goes, demonstrating the basics of Adobe InDesign. The editor-in-chief and I also had a quick meeting to touch base on schedules and goals for the semester. I also planned out my stories for the following issue.

On Wednesday, I met with the head of the school learning and management system to talk about the school's pilot program for Canvas, which is what the school will be using in the fall. I also interviewed some students about their thoughts on the topic and wrote a news article for next week's issue.

I am excited to see where the semester takes The Globe and complete my practicum with the organization!