Editor’s Note: All opinion section content reflects the views of the individual author only and does not represent a stance taken by The Collegian or its editorial board.
The Rocky Mountain Collegian has been around for over 130 years, and with that come many opportunities where a legacy has been fostered by students choosing to write about issues that impact them currently. The students at Colorado State University have been reporting on local news, sharing their opinions and marveling students with interesting knowledge for years, which is why now is the best time to share the top five reasons you should join The Collegian.
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1. It’s an environment filled with your peers
The Rocky Mountain Collegian is for students, by students — and this is something that flows through the whole corporation. By joining The Collegian, you can surround yourself with peers who are likeminded and who you may not meet in a typical classroom setting. The Collegian provides opportunities for students to find lifelong friends, all while fostering those relationships as you write, photograph and design with each other.
2. There are no limits to the opportunities
As a student, you may be wondering, “What does joining The Collegian really give me the opportunity to do?” By joining the paper, you have the opportunity to focus on any field you find most interesting, whether it be what’s going on in the city, sharing your thoughts on the most recent piece of news you saw or even discussing a cool new lab on campus. There are also chances for those who may lean more into photography or graphic design to get their work attached to a published article. At a student-run paper, you get the opportunity to share your own interests and curiosities with the Fort Collins community.
3. Get the opportunity to include published work on your resume
Some of us may just barely be starting our college careers, but that doesn’t mean we need to wait for the opportunity to start building up our resumes. With The Collegian, every single story you write and every single design you make is published on our website. As your portfolio builds, you will be able to document your published work on your resume as you continue to grow through college. Building your resume may not be the first thing you assumed would be necessary during your college career, but joining The Collegian for the real-world experience and the chance to share your publications is invaluable.
4. Earn compensation for your work
Positions at The Collegian are paid or for credit, including freelance work. By joining The Collegian, you can end every two weeks with a higher paycheck and a bigger smile. While it might not be much, the real-world experience that goes hand in hand with a consistent flow of cash is a great feeling.
5. We’ll help train you so you can succeed
No matter your major or your focus at CSU, The Collegian is always looking for writers and, more importantly, ways to diversify our staff. If you are wanting to take a chance and put yourself in a journalist’s shoes, we are willing to train you. Even if you have minimal writing experience or aren’t quite sure what being a journalist actually means, we invite you to learn more about our publication and get involved. Plus, in an environment with your peers, we are all constantly learning how to better our journalistic skills. As a team, we are all learning the best ways to succeed together.
Becoming a part of The Collegian may not be your first choice of club or extracurricular activity to participate in, and that is OK. We hope that you come try us out or read and share our paper so we can continue to inspire prospective students to join. The Collegian is always looking for new writers and faces to liven up our paper, and we hope that after reading this list you are curious about becoming a new reporter, photographer or even graphic designer for The Collegian.
Reach Dominique Lopez at letters@collegian.com or on Twitter @caffeinateddee6.
