Whether you are picking up The Student Voice for the first time or have been reading it for years, welcome back.
Since 1916, The Student Voice has been covering the people, events and issues that matter to the UWRF community, and we are excited to continue that tradition this year. The Student Voice began publication in the spring of 1916, and you can even read the first edition in the University Archives.
A lot has changed since then. For one, we no longer publish a page full of updates about where students have traveled and who is courting whom. We also no longer write stories on typewriters, although we still have a typewriter in the office. The Student Voice has had publishing schedules ranging from weekly editions to our current schedule of three issues per semester.
Throughout its history, the publication has earned numerous awards. We have been recognized for a variety of aspects of our operation, from editorial and feature writing to infographics and photography. Last year, The Student Voice received nine awards from the Wisconsin Newspaper Association Foundation.
Each month, we follow a similar process to create the paper, beginning with our weekly meetings on Wednesdays at 5 p.m. At the first meeting of a new publication cycle, we review story ideas. Staff members are free to choose their own stories on a first-come, first-served basis. We also discuss themes for our recurring columns, including Falcon Flashbacks and Student Voices.
Next, everything is put on our blackboard. The blackboard is our holy grail for tracking articles and determining how much space we have available in the paper.
Once stories are completed, they are submitted to our editorial team via email. The editorial team, Kristy Moore and Alison Keeler, then reads through all articles to copy edit and catch as many mistakes and inconsistencies as possible. The final proof is then reviewed by the faculty adviser, Dr. Souzeina Mushtaq, before it is sent for publication.
Keeler also serves as the paper’s designer. One of her responsibilities is laying out the publication in Adobe InDesign to make it visually appealing.
From there, the paper is sent across campus to our printer, Fast Copy. The papers are then delivered to The Student Voice office on Monday mornings, where staff members distribute them to newsstands throughout UWRF.
Copies of The Student Voice can be found in newsstands on Monday afternoons in every classroom building, the Falcon Center, Rodli Hall, Chalmer Davee Library and at the information desk in the University Center. We are also available online at uwrfvoice.com and on Instagram at @uwrfstudentvoice.
There is no course or experience requirement to join our staff. Our staff represents a variety of majors, from education to marketing communications. Whether you want to write, take photographs, design pages or simply stay informed about campus life, we encourage you to get involved.
The Student Voice has always been about giving students a platform to tell stories, share perspectives and document the history of UWRF. That is what we will continue to do for as long as we exist.
