By: Michael McCarrick, Lion’s Eye Staff Editor, mqm5415@psu.edu
Read the Lion’s Eye. If you enjoy what you read, consider joining the club/class.
What students probably don’t know about The Lion’s Eye newspaper is that it’s an ambitious effort run by a small group of students and one committed faculty member in Karen Theveny. The few students who chose contribute to the paper, whether as a club member or for credit, have tasked themselves with knowing everything that occurs on campus. For every event that occurs in their editorial time frame, they attend, interview, research and compose a story.
It’s not an easy task but the thrill reporters get in interviewing professors and completing an article by deadline is all worth it when their work comes out on both the paper and the website psulionseye.com managed by adjunct professor Jaime Fettrow-Alderfer. The club encourages their writers and editors to cover student and campus-related events to help promote and inform fellow students of their activities and their significance to Brandywine.
What makes the Lion’s Eye more appealing than most clubs is that it can be taken for credit. Club members have only to write and submit articles, but students taking it as a course will write articles and also edit and create the layout format that will be used to print and publish. It’s a valuable learning experience and great to include on a resume.
The club’s Vice President Thomas O’Donnell talked about how he first joined the paper.
“When I found out that I could receive college credits and get first-hand experience in working with programs and equipment used in companies today, The Lion’s Eye appealed to me as a useful opportunity,” O’Donnell said. “I like how in the newspaper club you get to learn, not only how to use the programs associated with the industry but also, about the activities on campus.”
Club Secretary Kevin Dellatore said he joined the club primarily for college credits, but the newspaper is something he thought about doing for a while.
“What I like about The Lion’s Eye is that it’s a great opportunity to expose yourself to everything Brandywine has to offer,” Dellatore said.
Fellow staff writer David Brown said that he wanted to be a part of the newspaper because he had a passion for writing, especially journalism and it provides a great experience.
“I really enjoy interviewing people about something exciting and being able to tell their story in their own words,” Brown said.
And one of the club’s newest members Deja Footes discussed why she wanted to be in The Lion’s Eye.
“In the future I want to become a newscaster, and I felt like this would be a good experience,” Footes said. “I could get the idea of what it’s like to be a reporter.”
Her favorite part of it is the layout where they take the stories and edit them into the newspaper.
“To see how it all fits into the final product is really cool,” Footes said. “I also like coming to class every Monday and Wednesday because everyone is fun to be with.”
It’s up to those few students to carry the large load The Lion’s Eye has to offer, but all of the writing, editing and photography is worth it when the final product is released for students to read all over campus. The newspaper club is a rewarding experience and the members of The Lion’s Eye want to share it with their fellow students. To join The Lion’s Eye as a club member where only the writing is required, interested students should reach out to Professor Theveny at kct13@psu.edu. And if the club turns out to be a great fit, then students can register for it as a class and receive credits the next semester.
(updated by Lion’s Eye web staff)