The Woods

As the semester comes to an end, I have decided to pass down the position of Editor-in-Chief of The Woods newspaper to my predecessor, sophomore Jade Scott. While it has been a long and stressful journey at times, it has been a great experience for me.
Jade and I have been working side-by-side this semester as co-editors. We have had a lot of fun together, and I have passed all of my information and helpful tips on to her. She has done an amazing job thus far, and I have complete confidence in her abilities to lead the staff in another successful semester.
It is customary for an editor to carry out an entire semester in charge; however, I feel like I have almost overstayed my welcome and my staff may revolt if they have to put up with my quirky ways any longer. (Just kidding. I hope none of them want to kill me yet!) I have been the Editor-in-Chief of The Woods newspaper for a year and a half now, starting my run last fall. In my time I have seen a lot of improvement on the newspaper.
We have gone through some rough times, but no matter what we always produced a quality newspaper that we hope served its purpose to the campus community.
I have seen a change of leadership in our faculty advisor. For those of you who are new to campus, Elaine Yaw was our previous advisor. Her replacement came this year in the form of Assistant Professor of Journalism, Lori Henson. Having worked with both women, I have learned very much from their vast amount of experience. I feel that they have successfully prepared me to go into the real world and work my way through the ranks. (Although I must admit I am incredibly nervous about taking the plunge!)
Some changes this year have included a new format of our newspaper into a more “newsy” style. We, as a staff, felt this would help our readers follow the newspaper. Another change is the new website. We have attempted to keep an updated website for our readers not on campus or for more convenience.
Through all of this, the staff have been very accepting of the changes and have embraced them with open arms. It has created new opportunities for some of them and will help them build their portfolios. Our staff has also increased in size and experience, which helps with the publication of the bi-weekly newspaper.
Jade is a very qualified candidate for this position and has a lot of opportunity to grow as a young woman and a journalist. I hope you will all welcome her and give her feedback on the things you enjoy and the things that maybe need some work. As a sophomore, she will be with this newspaper for awhile and I know she will do great things with it and for it. I have total confidence in her.
It is a sad time for me because journalism is what I love to do. However, being an editor is incredibly hard and stressful work. No one but a few members of our staff see just how much effort goes into putting together a newspaper. A lot of people take it for granted, and I know this because I was one of those people two years ago. I got my eyes opened big time when I took on the position but I haven’t regretted a single moment of it.
I will still be contributing to the newspaper, so you haven’t gotten completely rid of me just yet. However, I do graduate in May so then I suppose you will…unless Lori and Jade want me to come back that badly! (I don’t see that happening, just between you and me.)
So for now, I bid you adieu as the Editor-in-Chief of The Woods newspaper and pass the torch to the very talented Jade Scott.

Popularity: 31% [?]

Not many people pay money to get their news in the form of a newspaper.  As time goes on new technology is created and the old goes out with the new.  That is where the newspaper is at today.  Newspapers are at the crossroad of becoming extinct.  But many people do not realize the value and the importance of what a newspaper does.
Before we had televisions, cell phones, the internet, and internet on our cell phones the source for news was through a daily newspaper. In Renaissance Europe, handwritten newsletters circulated privately among merchants, passing along information about everything from wars and economic conditions to social customs and “human interest” features. The first printed forerunners of the newspaper appeared in Germany in the late 1400’s in the form of news pamphlets or broadsides, often highly sensationalized in content.
By the late 1600’s the first newspaper appeared in America in Boston and from there newspapers began appearing in Philadelphia and New York City by the early 1700’s.
In 1880 there were 11,314 different papers circulating all across the United States providing Americans with news.  Now the cost of printing the actual paper has caused the decline of print news.  The future of newspapers relies on three things; the consumer demand, the health of the economy, and the demand of advertising.
Newspapers have become something from the past now replaced by news daily on the television, websites like CNN or NBC, and even cell phones that allow internet connectivity.  The availability of information today has brought a shadow and the possible demise upon the printed word.
We at The Woods newspaper want to provide the Saint Mary-of-the-Woods community with information and news.  We also want to hear what you have to say.  We want your opinions, comments, complaints, and even suggestions.  We don’t know what you want, like, or absolutely hate unless you tell us or email us.

Popularity: 38% [?]

The Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College community places an importance on spreading diversity around campus. This is done by hosting international students and students of all ethnic backgrounds. The Woods newspaper is doing its part to help spread diversity among the community with a new project.
After fall break The Woods newspaper photographers. Annie Jones and Colleen Daum, will be doing a photo shoot that will focus on spreading diversity. We will be calling for people of all shapes, ethnicities, and types to participate. There will be numerous opportunities for different types of photos, with as many people as you can get together. Or if you want it to be just you, that’s fine as well!
Along with the photo shoot, The Woods will be running a special feature on spreading diversity. Sparked by an idea last year, we have decided to make everyone aware of the unique people we have on campus. The story will be titled “I am…” Basically, we are inviting anyone who has been judged or targeted because of one aspect of their life to participate. Maybe it’s their religion, their gender, their style, or their background. Whatever it is, we’re interested in hearing your story.
You will be able to write your own article, or if you want your story told and just don’t think you can write it yourself a staff member can help you! Don’t let a fear of writing stop your story from being heard! If you’ve got a certain instance or event that shows discrimination based on only a single aspect of who you are, feel free to share it.
No one should be classified or discriminated against based on just one part of who they are. The Woods newspaper wants to show the community that it is full of people that aren’t just what they may seem. They aren’t just women. They aren’t just Catholics. They aren’t just Hispanic or African American. We are all more than what meets the eye, so let everyone know just who you are!
We are also encouraging anyone that writes an article to participate in the photo shoot; however, it isn’t necessary because we all know some people are just camera shy!
For more information on the photo shoot and the story idea, feel free to email me at DLong@smwc.edu. If you have any questions about this project, don’t hesitate to ask!

Popularity: 16% [?]