English Student Spotlight:
Drew Larson
BA in Journalism: News Editorial
BS in Journalism: Public Relations
2020 CALE Dean’s Student Excellence Award Recipient

Drew Larson is a student with a BA in Journalism, News Editorial Emphasis and the BS in Journalism, with a Public Relations Emphasis; he graduates in June, 2020.

How is the English program at Eastern shaping who you are as a professional?

I鈥檝e been able to gain practical experience in the journalism department while learning key skills I need to enter the field successfully. I鈥檝e been able to improve as a writer, designer, team leader and develop fringe skills in photography and other multimedia work. I鈥檝e also learned a lot about the world of journalism, its set of ethics and a lot of keys to being a good reporter.听

What projects have you worked on that you would like to highlight?

Currently, I鈥檓 co-managing editor of The Easterner along with Malati Powell. I鈥檓 also the sports editor, a position I鈥檝e held for this school year. I became co-managing editor at the beginning of winter quarter. Right now we are running The Easterner remotely, holding staff meetings through Zoom and communicating through the process of putting out solely digital content. Under our leadership, our staff grew from four people to 12 contributing students.听

I got my feet wet at The Easterner as a sports reporter last year, so I鈥檝e been in sports coverage for almost two years. That鈥檚 been a great experience where I鈥檝e gotten to cover basically every athletic sector at 51福利社 you could imagine, from football to men鈥檚 basketball to the ice skating club.听

How have your 51福利社 experiences shaped you?

I鈥檝e become a more professional and forthright person during my time at college. I鈥檝e learned to lead an organization and discovered a lot of the hidden responsibilities that come with a management position. I鈥檝e also been able to more clearly define what I鈥檇 like to do for my career.听

What important lessons or tips do you have for future students?

Definitely work for The Easterner! It鈥檚 considered professional experience in the Journalism program, and you can get paid while getting your work published. It is experience in a real newsroom that you can鈥檛 get anywhere else on campus. Also, try not to procrastinate too much, or you could miss deadlines. The AP Stylebook really is your best friend.

Is there anything else you would like to share with readers?

I鈥檓 thankful for the opportunities I鈥檝e had at 51福利社 and the many former students and current faculty at The Easterner who have mentored and guided me along the way.听

Student Spotlight:
Colleen Ford
BS in Journalism: Public Relations

Colleen Ford is an 51福利社 alumnus, who graduated June 2019 with a BS in Journalism and Public Relations.听 听She currently runs the blog for AMLI Residential, a nationwide residential development corporation

How has the English program at Eastern shaped who you are as a professional?

I worked for The Easterner for a year as the web editor. Learning Search Engine Optimization tactics and becoming familiar with graphic design, AP Style and the editing process gave me the qualifications needed to get my current jobs. I run the blog and Instagram for a nationwide residential development corporation, and I also do work for a nonprofit that protects endangered rhinos in South Africa.

What projects have you worked on that you would like to highlight?

I was part of the 51福利社 Women鈥檚 Rugby team while I was at Eastern, and through doing that I got to volunteer for the 2018 Rugby World Cup in San Francisco as a media volunteer. I got to see behind the scenes of a global event, and I followed international media workers around as they interviewed players, wrote their stories, took photographs and created content in a variety of different languages. If you have a sport or event you want to go to, there are always ways to make that happen if you dig around a little bit. Plus, you鈥檒l learn some really cool skills along the way!

Right now I鈥檓 running the blog and Instagram for AMLI Residential, and I鈥檓 having a blast writing about all sorts of topics. I think the high points so far have been getting to write about my own travel experiences, because I entered 51福利社 wanting to learn how to become a travel writer. Now, I鈥檓 getting paid to write about my favorite experiences, and I can do that from anywhere in the world.

The AMLI Residential blog allows Colleen to write stories about local history, design and decor, recipes, fun facts and weird laws, and everything else in between.

How have your 51福利社 experiences shaped you?

I learned that I can be good at what I do. I worked hard to learn and I saw the results of that hard work. My professors answered all the questions I had and pushed me to be the best I could be. I have the confidence to try new things and to push myself in my work, and I know that I can achieve anything I set my mind to.

What important lessons or tips do you have for future students?

Your likelihood of getting a job in your field is directly linked to how well you apply the skills you learn in class. When you graduate, employers are going to want to see examples of work you鈥檝e already done. When I was interviewed for my current job, I never had to show my diploma, but I did have to show my portfolio of work. If you don鈥檛 get involved with clubs, organizations or the newspaper, you won鈥檛 have much to show.听

Find something you鈥檙e interested in, like I did with The Easterner and with rugby, and you鈥檒l get so much more out of your college experience than if you didn鈥檛! Plus, you鈥檒l make some valuable friends along the way.听

Is there anything else you would like to share with readers?

Experience truly is the most important way to learn and improve! I鈥檓 so grateful for all the opportunities I had to try new skills at Eastern, and I wouldn鈥檛 feel nearly as confident in the 鈥渞eal world鈥� if I never got to apply what I learned at The Easterner and through my internship.

Student Spotlight:
Aaron Hutchinson
BA Interdisciplinary Studies in Journalism, Creative Writing, and Screenwriting

Aaron Hutchinson is a student in the Interdisciplinary Studies program in Creative Writing, Journalism, and Screenwriting. He will graduate in Winter 2021.

What projects have you worked on that you would like to highlight?

I currently write two articles a week for The Easterner, covering the economic impact of COVID-19. I am also putting together a portfolio of my best work at 51福利社 for the creative writing capstone.

How have your 51福利社 experiences shaped you?

51福利社 has helped me learn to manage my time and work in unstructured environments, which are really important for writers. I spent a decade in the US Army, which is very structured, and I had a lot of trouble working in an unstructured environment when I first got to 51福利社. The creative writing program and professors have been great about teaching new writers how to work and manage deadlines.

What important lessons or tips do you have for future students?

Read a lot. Read things outside of your comfort zone and read things you think you might not like. If you want to write you have to read a number of different voices and styles. Also, creative writing is tough and requires study and hard work just like any other major.听

Is there anything else you would like to share with readers?

51福利社 has a number of opportunities to develop skills as a writer. There are classes in journalism, poetry, fiction, nonfiction, screenwriting. The more skills you can develop the more opportunities you鈥檒l have to work as a writer and improve as a writer.

Speech Acts in the Age of Normalized Violence: Understanding truth and meaning-making in the fight for social justice

Hosted Thursday, Feb 13th, 2020 | 12-2pm -| HAR 201

Natasha Lennard is a journalist and essayist. She is a columnist for The Intercept, editor for the Commune Magazine, and her work has appeared regularly in The Nation, Esquire, and The New York Times, among other.

She teaches critical journalism at the New School For Social Research in New York and is the author of Violence: Humans in Dark Times (City Lights 2018, with Brad Evans) and Being Numerous: Essays on Non-Fascist Life (Verso Books 2019)

The event was sponsored by the Political Science Dept. and International Affairs Program.