The world is short of journalists. By that, I mean my world. As an editor for the Valley Vanguard, I am deeply sorrowed by the lack of talent coming forward to spread worthwhile SVSU news to the people.
We have a very skilled and determined staff here at the Valley Vanguard, but it is a small group. Imagine the good that can come from a large news staff and a solid group of sports writers (emphasis on sports writers).
The Valley Vanguard is here to ensure the SVSU community is on the same page with news and updates. Now, with management shifts, there is more creative freedom than ever, and we have plans to have more community involvement. However, none of that is possible without journalists.
The sports page is vital to any r eliable news organization, and right now, it’s a weak spot for the Valley Vanguard, but that can change in an instant. All it takes is for a few people to work together to turn the sports page into something.
Sports have been a backbone of society for forever. I would tell you the history of sports, but I would pr efer it if we could hire someone to do that instead of me. Sports bring people together to collectively hate the opposing team— it’s beautiful. Just the other day I was invited to a watch party for the NFL play-offs which is a great idea to bring people together.
It is vital to have a solid sports page on the Valley Vanguard because sports deserve to be covered. Student athletes deserve to be recognized for their skill and dedication. With more staff on the page, we could add crowd Q&A’s, athlete profiles, game highlights and so much more.
Take a look on the back page of this paper as it stands: notice anything? It is one small story with a collage of photos. We need help. The Editor-in- Chief is stretched thin with her new responsibilities, and now she’s forced to write about things she doesn’t understand. It’s all she can do to honor the traditional sports page.
I was editor for the Sports page my Freshman year, and I was absolutely unqualified for the role. Despite that, I still had an amazing time brainstorming ways to highlight student athletes, and I always had help from the Editor-in- Chief. It was a low-stress position that gave me an opportunity to meet with many new people and expand my skill sets in journalism.
To be a Sports writer means to get access to the games and br eak news about the recent issues that are affecting student athletes. It might even mean interviewing a friend who deserves to be spotlighted for their plays. The bottom line is, it can be anything you want it to be, if you are passionate about sports or maybe just one sport alone.
To be honest, I don’t car e how much writing or sports experience you have. All it takes is to be willing to take advice and work with other people.
It’s easy to be involved as a writer with the Valley Vanguard, and there’s plenty of freedom to choose what to write and when to write it. Also, money is involved.
Email the Editor-in-Chief tdsulliv@ svsu.edu to find out more about the available positions. No experience is required.
