It all started at the height of the pandemic when Wilson kept busy with Zoom meetings 鈥渏ust to talk to people.鈥� Most general networking meetings aren鈥檛 too memorable, but one with Jennie Snyder Urman, co-founder of Sutton Street Productions, stood out 鈥� and not just because she admired Wilson鈥檚 work.

Urman made the “” an offer she couldn鈥檛 refuse: co-writing 鈥淪oapdish,鈥� a 鈥渄ramedy, soapy, twisty-turny鈥� remake of the 1991 film, as Wilson refers to it.

鈥淪he told me that she was working with Whoopi Goldberg and the NAACP and was interested if I would come on and co-write and eventually run the show with her,鈥� Wilson said. 鈥淯sually, when you get offers like that in meetings, it’s kind of like, ‘Oh my gosh, it’s amazing. I’ll think about it.’ And with this, I was immediately like, 鈥榊es. No questions. Yes.鈥欌��

Growing up, the star-studded comedy film was always one of Wilson鈥檚 favorites and one that could make her laugh no matter how many times she watched it.

鈥淭here are maybe three movies in all time that my soul has wanted to make into a TV show, and Soapdish has always been number one on that list,鈥� she said.聽鈥淲hen you grow up in a smaller town, or not L.A., nobody really knows the path to getting into a writer’s room,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 just thought it was SNL.鈥�

And so, she forged her own path calling the shots at every turn. The path eventually led her to 黑料不打烊, where she was warmly welcomed into the Communications Fellows program and couldn鈥檛 wait to get her hands busy with film equipment and op-ed writing, and even beginning an SNL-type comedy show with 黑料不打烊 Student Television.

By her senior year, Wilson was more certain about her future in screenwriting. Her next move? Persuading the School of Communications to grant her an independent study, where she could focus all of her time watching, studying and eventually writing her own TV scripts and pilots.

鈥淢y roommates thought that was insane,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 would write on Post-it notes for each day of the week, all the shows that were out that night, and what time they were on, so I could watch them. I would watch shows that I loved, and I would watch those that I didn’t like that much, but it helped me understand just making a TV show. It鈥檚 a real learn-by-doing, learn-by-watching kind of situation.鈥�

Her path eventually twisted and turned its way to Los Angeles, where she participated in the 黑料不打烊 in L.A. program and landed gigs writing for 鈥淎merican Horror Story鈥� and 鈥淎rcher.鈥� And now, she finds herself set to be an executive producer on the remake of her favorite childhood movie, alongside Whoopi Goldberg.

Being that the series marks the first remake she鈥檚 worked on, the writing process has introduced its challenges. However, the self-proclaimed 鈥減ositivity mouth,鈥� pleads that the word 鈥渃hallenge鈥� should be taken with a grain of salt, as she wouldn鈥檛 trade the experience for the world.

鈥淚’m such a fan of the original movie,鈥� she said. 鈥淵ou don’t want to quite do a mimicry thing. You want to make it feel new and fun, but also true to the original. So that’s kind of just like a fun little tightrope to be walking. But honestly, I think that being a fan of the original movie and having people from the original movie onboard lends itself to that so easily.

鈥淚 have nowhere near the experience that Jennie has, but what’s been really great is that it’s been incredibly collaborative and felt very 50/50,鈥� she added.鈥淚t’s never felt like I’m just here to add a joke or do whatever. It’s honestly an amazing writing process together.鈥�

Not a bad path for an 鈥渦p-and-coming鈥� writer.

He likes to stick to what he excels at most: reporting, digging up information, holding people accountable, and asking questions. But when it came time to cover the 2018 North Carolina 9th Congressional District scandal, which involved the collecting of absentee ballots and subsequent election fraud allegations, he knew that something much bigger than a breaking news report was warranted. His next step? A 鈥榟ow to write a book鈥� Google search.

For Ochsner, now a chief investigative reporter at WBTV in Charlotte, the scandal felt anything but revolutionary when rumors began to spread. Having grown up in Fayetteville, North Carolina 鈥� less than an hour’s drive north of Bladen County, where the scandal took place 鈥攖he 9th District was familiar, and fraud allegations seemed to sprout up like weeds on the nightly news.

鈥淚 thought, 鈥楾his isn鈥檛 going to be anything big. I鈥檝e got other stuff I鈥檓 working on,鈥欌�� Ochsner said. It wasn鈥檛 until fellow 黑料不打烊 alumnus and friend Joe Bruno ’14 broke the story that Ochsner decided to give in. 鈥淚 called my bosses and said, 鈥榃ell, I guess I got to go to Bladen County. I don’t know what I’m going to get, I don’t know what it’s going to be, but I’ve got to go to Bladen County.鈥欌��

The scandal, which marked the first time in modern history that a congressional race had been thrown out because of fraud allegations, found McCrae Dowless鈥攆ormer political operative serving as vice chair in the Bladen County Soil and Water Conservation District 鈥� front and center of the ballot investigation. Thanks to his backdoor, friend-of-a-friend kind of access to the neighborhood, Ochsner鈥檚 first stop in Bladen County was on none other than Dowless鈥� doorstep.

鈥淚 was sitting in McCrae Dowless’ kitchen in December of 2018,鈥� Ochsner said. 鈥淪omething had happened that afternoon, and I said to myself, 鈥楾his is so crazy. Someone’s going to write a book about it. Maybe it ought to be me.鈥欌��

And so, in conjunction with co-author, friend, and former Politico journalist Michael Graff, 鈥淭he Vote Collectors鈥� was published Nov. 16, 2021.

Had you told Ochsner 10 years ago that he鈥檇 be a published author now, he wouldn鈥檛 have believed you. The broadcast major鈥檚 career-end goal was never journalism; it was politics. In fact, he spent his undergraduate years running 黑料不打烊鈥檚 College Republicans club, reporting with Phoenix14 News, the predecessor of 黑料不打烊 Local News, and most memorably, working on statewide political campaigns鈥攕uccessful ones, too. 鈥淚t was like a full-time job,鈥� he remembered. Come graduation, Ochsner had a dream offer: an easy-in to the world of politics. He turned it down.

鈥淚 decided the call of journalism was too strong, and I couldn’t overcome it. So I went into journalism, after all,鈥� he said.

Writing a book doesn鈥檛 happen overnight. Sure, Ochsner worked for Phoenix 14, but that fell accidentally into his lap thanks to an older student who recruited him to the news organization. Ochsner鈥檚 storytelling muscle is one he鈥檚 had to work at鈥攍ikely more than the average journalist.

鈥淚’ve not been drawn to storytelling, right? I’ve been drawn to facts and investigating and uncovering things,鈥� he said. 鈥淎nd it’s only through my decade-plus of reporting that I’ve come to realize that, if you want people to really care about the facts and the things that you’ve uncovered, you’ve got to give them a character and you’ve got to give them a compelling narrative. You can dig up all the best stuff in the world, but no one’s going to read it unless you tell them the story they want to read.鈥�

He credits Graff, the 鈥渂est writer I know, period,鈥� and their time writing 鈥淭he Vote Collectors鈥� for helping him strengthen that storytelling muscle. Where Ochsner would lay out the facts, Graff would shape them into a narrative, adding a few adjectives here and there, too. 鈥淲e approach our work so differently 鈥� and we’re kind of wired differently, but really complementary,鈥� Ochsner said.

Though book publishing wasn鈥檛 always part of his plan, Ochsner has found the process extremely rewarding and has enjoyed navigating the 鈥渜uirks,鈥� as he calls them, of the publishing industry. One of those quirks? An author always signs a book on the title page.

鈥淲e’ve gotten high praise from both Republicans and conservatives and from Democrats and liberals, who’ve individually read the book and liked it,鈥� Ochsner added. 鈥淵ou know, in this polarized time, to have both sides, both parties, both sides of an event, read it and say, 鈥榊eah, you did a good job and we like it,鈥� that’s rare, and that’s gratifying.鈥�

Unlike most other college students, Constantine 鈥� a Division 1 basketball recruit 鈥� all too easily dribbled his way through every corner of 黑料不打烊鈥檚 campus, landing leadership stints as film critic for The Pendulum, account executive at Live Oak Communications, president of the Student Athlete Association, and co-founder of his own production company. When he wasn鈥檛 training in Alumni Gym, the Theater Studies Minor was getting into character in the Center for the Arts.

It wasn鈥檛 until much later in his career that he realized why he was so attracted to each of those opportunities: they allowed him to tell a story, whether it was through a script, an account campaign or a game-winning basket.

鈥淚 didn鈥檛 realize why I liked it so much,鈥� he said, 鈥渂ut just the ability to tell stories, to bring out emotion through a narrative, is really what I enjoyed.鈥�

One of his first opportunities to tell stories professionally started at his alma mater, serving as 黑料不打烊’s social media manager for three years. Now, more than 10 years after graduating, Constantine is doing just that for brands through his self-started creative agency, 鈥� and with his own 鈥渄ope鈥� spin, he says. It all started when he saw a gap in the market for catchy content that not only pleased the client, but excited their audience. And so, ACE鈥檚 first move with any new client is actually to disregard what they want entirely.

鈥淚 felt that, in certain places that I was, there was a disconnect between what brands wanted and what audiences wanted to see, especially on social,鈥� Constantine said. 鈥淵ou know, you have to put yourself in somebody else’s shoes to see, OK, why are they doing that? If I’m telling a story for an audience that, maybe, I don’t relate to, I have to put myself in their shoes to see what it is they want.鈥�

ACE Creatives has already garnered an impressive roster of clients 鈥� some international names with 90+ million YouTube subscribers like Mr. Beast, and others that have booked him gigs across the world in Fiji. And working with him at ACE is Aaron Moger ’12, who serves as the company’s creative director and previously worked with Constantine in 黑料不打烊’s Office of University Communications.

Before growing the agency into a seven-figure success story, Constantine toured the globe as a player in Germany鈥檚 Bundesliga pro-basketball league. 鈥淵ou always hear these stories, you know, 鈥業 always knew I was gonna be鈥︹�欌�� he said. 鈥淚 didn’t. I thought I was going to be in the NBA right now, and I didn’t make it there. It was more about where my adaptability took me as I continued to see where things would go and flow.鈥�

And things did 鈥� go and flow, that is. The pro job wound up flying him from Bulgaria to Sweden, from Israel to Finland, and then back home, where he soon after cut the ribbon on ACE.

鈥淭he only way that I could talk to people while abroad was through social media,鈥� he said. When I graduated, Instagram wasn’t even around yet. You know, I had a list of 300-some people that I would literally post a blog to their walls. I just loved storytelling and social media was the way to self-publish and get your name out there with a maximum footprint compared to anything else at that time.鈥�

So, Constantine never took the traditional storytelling route. It wasn鈥檛 a newsroom or a journalism class where he got his experience 鈥� he claimed journalism was 鈥渢oo cut and dry鈥� for him, anyway. All along, he was learning how to tell a story by unfolding his own.

鈥淚 think it was always going to be me as an entrepreneur at some point, I just didn’t know what I didn’t know. So, I didn’t know how,鈥� he said. 鈥淏ut with every job, I always felt like I was looking for the next step. And being an entrepreneur, it’s the first time that I’m not looking for the next step outside of it.鈥�

Haney, who will offer the keynote address during 黑料不打烊鈥檚 Student Media Board banquet at 5 p.m. May 11, wasn鈥檛 like some of her peers, who seemingly knew what they wanted to do since before they could repeat the alphabet. She never had a 10-year plan, let alone a five-year one, and she was perfectly OK with that. Instead, she had a passion to do what she does best: be curious.

And so, when she stepped foot on 黑料不打烊鈥檚 campus back in 2009, that鈥檚 exactly what she did. Thanks to her involvement in the drama program in high school, Haney quickly got involved with what would later become one of her minors, Theatre Arts. Her other minor, International Studies, was influenced purely by her interest in geography and geopolitical studies, which later led her to Istanbul, Turkey, for a semester abroad. She even joined 黑料不打烊鈥檚 Finest Dance Team, threw a few design courses into her already-assorted schedule, and became a member of FreshTV鈥攆or no other reason other than to feed her curiosity.

鈥淚 took graphic design courses, knowing that I wouldn’t ever probably be a graphic designer, but I did it because I could,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 did video production courses, not really knowing that I would be in video production, in a newsroom, but I did it because I could.”

“If you have an inkling of an interest, go for it. This is the time of your life when you have all of these resources at your fingertips and it’s really to your advantage to take advantage of them,” Haney said.

If you have an inkling of an interest, go for it. This is the time of your life when you have all of these resources at your fingertips and it’s really to your advantage to take advantage of them.

鈥� Addie Haney ’14

After 鈥渢esting the waters,鈥� as she likes to call it, Haney eventually declared a major in journalism with a focus on broadcast news, thanks to a friend鈥檚 invitation to attend a 鈥淧hoenix 14 News鈥� meeting and her curiosity to follow through with it. It was through Phoenix 14, which is now called 鈥満诹喜淮蜢� Local News, that Haney, now a digital executive producer at WFAA in Dallas, 鈥渓earned the core of my skills,鈥� from the making of a newscast to the backend of managing a website.

鈥淓ventually and ultimately, I chose to kind of stick with that broadcast journalism because I think it just allows this kind of creativity that I think really spoke to me,鈥� Haney said. 鈥淓very day is different. You鈥檙e never gonna get the same thing, so you never get bored of being in journalism [and] in the newsroom.鈥�

To this day, the Emmy-winning producer and journalist has yet to get bored. She began her professional career as a digital producer at 11Alive in Atlanta, her hometown station she grew up watching. After climbing the ladder to senior digital producer there, Haney moved on to WFAA 鈥� a job she began just a few short weeks ago 鈥� where she oversees and coordinates the digital team鈥檚 daily production of stories.

Considering Haney鈥檚 success now, it鈥檚 hard to imagine that Haney was ever unsure of her path. But there were challenges along the way that made her question whether a career in journalism was worth pursuing.

鈥淛ournalism can be grueling and it can be a very demanding career,鈥� she said 鈥淎t times I’m like, ‘Why am I doing this?鈥� It really takes a toll on you mentally.鈥�

But Haney can get past that because she knows her work is valued, she鈥檚 making a difference, and she鈥檚 telling a story that needs to be told 鈥� like the one about the SWAT standoff in a southern metro county near Atlanta in September that won her the Emmy.

鈥淚 remember a phrase from Associate Professor Rich Landesberg,鈥� she said. 鈥淗e always would tell us, 鈥楧on’t do work for the awards, but always do award-winning work,鈥� and I think that has kind of just stuck with me. At the end of the day, I remind myself that I really feel fulfilled when I can make a difference.鈥�

Though it wasn鈥檛 on her radar the second she stepped foot on campus, let alone before freshman year began, student media became a constant in Haney鈥檚 undergraduate career, as well as something she credits for the professional foundation it laid in her postgraduate one.

鈥淪tudent media really gave me the foundation,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t laid the groundwork for me to be a really strong writer, to have those technical skills, but also to be curious. I think when I did take those first couple of weeks to pop around from place to place and just kind of test the waters 鈥� that’s really what being involved in student media is really about.

鈥淚f you have an inkling of an interest, go for it. This is the time of your life when you have all of these resources at your fingertips and it’s really to your advantage to take advantage of them. It’s a place where you can explore, and you can find your niche,” she said.

For Foster, research was about fulfilling a need: allowing Muslim students to share their own narrative, and appeal to those who’ve never met a Muslim individual before. It鈥檚 a pursuit that generated years of research, journalistic excellence and now a prestigious national award.

Foster鈥檚 research began when she received a call from Amy Allocco, associate professor of religious studies and program director of the Multifaith Scholars program. That call 鈥渞adically changed 黑料不打烊 for me,鈥� Foster said. She was accepted into Multifaith Scholars, one of the most prestigious research programs on campus. As part of the program, students are required to complete two years of rigorous undergraduate research. But Foster decided to take it a step further.

She wrote her research paper, 鈥淣egotiating Islamophobia: The Experiences of College-Age Muslims in North Carolina,鈥� which has since been accepted for publication in the Journal of Theta Alpha Kappa, where it will appear later this year. She even landed a few bylines in the Burlington Times-News highlighting North Carolina Muslim communities and ultimately started a 鈥淕et On The Bus鈥� program that transported students to the Burlington Masjid, or mosque, every Friday for prayer and encouraged inter-religious conversation. But the Hearst win is a product of Foster鈥檚 passion project: a multimedia website where Muslim students could share their stories in their own voices.

鈥淚f you do one Google search, you just see how much Muslim crimes are reported on 鈥� three times, four times, five times more than average crime committed by a white Christian,鈥� Foster said. 鈥淎nd so, I kind of wanted this to be a platform for Muslims to reclaim their identity.鈥�

Foster鈥檚 website incorporated videos of Muslim students talking about their interests and achievements, and Foster intentionally wanted to show Muslims as ordinary people 鈥� as individuals who care deeply about family and have many pursuits and passions.

Foster spent months visiting the Burlington Masjid, conducting more than 45 interviews, making grape leaves with Muslim students, inviting the masjid鈥檚 members to her home for s鈥檓ores and, most importantly, forming meaningful relationships with her subjects. For Foster, a quick interview without depth and good conversation was out of the question.

鈥淲hat people don’t see about this website is it’s such a small amount of the actual work that I did and how much I care about each person who’s on that website,鈥� Foster said. 鈥淯nlike a lot of journalism pieces where you do a cold interview, and then you never talk to them again, these people are in my life and they changed my 黑料不打烊 experience.鈥�

For Foster, the extensive interviews and countless hours of writing never seemed like a chore. Her conversations intrigued her, her subjects became her friends, and her passion for telling other people鈥檚 stories became something she pursued more and more.

鈥淭he essential nature of Marjorie Anne is that she dives deeply into whatever she does. And, she’s, you know, intellectually curious all the time,鈥� said Glenn Scott, associate professor of journalism. 鈥淚t was a project she did for her Multifaith work. But honestly, I think she would have done all of it without it.鈥�

Despite her selfless work ethic, Foster credits her success to her mentors 鈥� 鈥漷he most influential part鈥� of her undergraduate experience, she said. She said she is grateful to Allocco and Scott, thanking them for their inspiration and guidance.

Multifaith Scholars and Hearst aside, these mentors pushed Foster to keep going, even when topics and conversations turned difficult. 鈥淕etting into some of these stories 鈥� was intense. And it was very heavy. And it was really hard on me, emotionally, spiritually, all of that,鈥� she said.

Growing up in a Christian family, and involved in Christian ministries, Foster always knew the importance of religious tradition in her own life. And so, the beginning stages of reporting on Islam was, naturally, a bit out of her religious comfort zone.

鈥淪he comes from a very strong Christian family, and she is still a strong Christian, but she can open up to other religions at the same time,鈥� Scott said. 鈥淎nd I think it’s that appreciation for what is sacred in all of us. What is sacred about Christianity allows her to sincerely be open to what is sacred about every religion, and how it animates people. When people have a sense of the sacred mysteries of life, it opens them up.鈥�

But perhaps it was her strong faith that allowed Foster to appreciate the Muslim faith in the first place. And to accept everyone, no matter their faith.

鈥淵ou know, you can still spend more time in a mosque than a church and be a good Christian,鈥� Foster said. 鈥淚 learned that I could be a bridge between different traditions and that it’s okay to identify as one thing, but still create a platform for other people to express their beliefs.鈥�

Sanders currently serves as an associate professor in LSU鈥檚 Manship School of Mass Communication and as director of the Media Effects Lab. She has also previously served as an associate dean for the Manship school and as the director of the Scripps Howard Academic Leadership Academy.

Immediately at the start of the workshop, Sanders emphasized the importance of having DEI-oriented conversations, noting that they should begin with introspection in the form of self-reflection.

鈥淭o be honest, it鈥檚 going to be a little painful because we learn things about ourselves that we may not necessarily be proud of,鈥� Sanders said. 鈥淪ometimes it鈥檚 going to cut deep, sometimes it鈥檚 going to be a bit shallow, but it鈥檚 important to be clear about where you are so you can better figure out where you鈥檇 like to go and how to get there.鈥�

Sanders noted that self-assessments and participation in diversity trainings are both feasible and effective methods of beginning this conversation. But, while individual reflection is a strong starting point on the journey toward diverse and inclusive change, interactions and conversations within larger groups are equally as crucial.

鈥淸Make] sure that you鈥檙e doing these regularly and individually, but also as a group,鈥� Sanders said. 鈥淭his shouldn鈥檛 be a chore that you check off at the start of an academic year and then move on and never think about it again. You want to make sure that you鈥檙e continuously engaging with these conversations, seeing how you can grow, seeing how your organization can grow, and how you can adapt to make any adjustments that you need to make within your organization.鈥�

In speaking specifically to student media on 黑料不打烊鈥檚 campus, Sanders advised leaders and faculty to look at the makeup of their organizations, carefully examining the makeup of previous leadership teams as well as the physical spaces in which their organizations operate. As someone who works in a predominantly white institution as one of the few Black media psychologists, Sanders said she understands what it feels like to stand out when walking into a meeting or an office space, and so she encouraged leaders to interrogate their own working spaces.

鈥淲hat spaces can you, yourself, easily work in without question?鈥� she asked. 鈥淚s your meeting space or newsroom or studio one of those spaces? When you think about it for yourself, is it the same for other people with identities that are different from yours?鈥�

Though she said she believes student media serve a diverse community, Sanders has noticed problems arise when groups become so tight-knit at the expense of engaging with new members. The closeness of those relationships only makes sense, of course, especially given the constant collaboration that occurs within the organizations. But the downfall to such close collaboration and intimate support of one another, she said, is the exclusion of those not involved.

鈥淚t鈥檚 hard for other people to make inroads and get connected within student media,鈥� Sanders said. 鈥淎nd it may make it harder for people to apply for jobs there or, maybe, people who are already there may not feel as though it鈥檚 quite a safe space for them.鈥�

The workshop included several breakout sessions in which students and advisers shared thoughts on the ways in which current organizational policies, practices and traditions have prevented diverse, inclusive growth. Small groups also brainstormed ways in which the language of each organization鈥攂e it physical or unspoken鈥攃an accommodate DEI principles.

The feature writing competition received 150 entries from 79 universities across the country that have accredited communications programs. Delgado鈥檚 fourth-placed finish earned him a $1,000 scholarship from the Hearst foundation. 黑料不打烊鈥檚 School of Communications received a matching amount.

During his time at 黑料不打烊, the journalism and international & global studies major served as a multimedia journalist and managing editor of The Pendulum of 黑料不打烊 News Network. The award is yet another on Delgado鈥檚 list of journalistic distinctions. Among his other notable awards are two first-place finishes in the Society of Professional Journalists Region 2 Mark of Excellence Awards competition, a first-place honor from the College Media Association, a top award from the Associated College Press, and being named Best Feature Writer in the South and Best News Reporter in the South through SPJ鈥檚 Green Eyeshade Awards in 2019.

It wasn鈥檛 long before Fuller, now an English and professional writing and rhetoric double major, realized that she not only had a passion for writing, but a special knack for it. And it wasn鈥檛 long before her professor noticed her potential as a writer and as a Colonnades editor. That professor? Tita Ramirez, associate professor of English, Fuller鈥檚 academic advisor and Colonnades faculty adviser.

But being a 鈥渃loset writer,鈥� as Ramirez puts it, was hardly the extent of Fuller鈥檚 talents that would prove serendipitous for a position with 黑料不打烊鈥檚 literary and art journal.

鈥淪he鈥檚 a great critic,鈥� Ramirez said. 鈥淪he鈥檚 fantastic in terms of reading her peers鈥� work and giving them suggestions on how to make it stronger. Her analysis skills when we鈥檙e reading published work are really, really strong.鈥�

Considering Ramirez鈥檚 encouragement and her personal interest in pursuing the editing side of publishing, Fuller decided to dip her feet into the Colonnades pond. She started by submitting a piece to be considered for the journal during her first year at 黑料不打烊. Despite being rejected in her first attempt, Fuller tried again her junior year 鈹� this time for a spot on the executive staff.

Without any previous involvement in the organization but with a deeply-rooted passion for nonfiction, she landed the position of co-nonfiction editor. Not only did the position strengthen her editing skills, it also left her craving something bigger: editor-in-chief.

鈥淚 was interested in having a bigger say not only in a certain section but in the journal as a whole,鈥� Fuller said. 鈥淟ast year, I knew what was happening in nonfiction and I had a really big say in those pieces, but I also wanted to know how it all was working together more.鈥�

A lot has changed during the past year, and Fuller鈥檚 new role in the organization is just a fraction of it. In addition to her shift from following deadlines to enforcing them, Fuller has taken on a challenge she never expected: leading an organization during a pandemic.

While it鈥檚 been a challenge to navigate, Fuller sees the virus, as well as all of the other obstacles and unrest that 2020 has presented, as opportunities for the journal to reflect all that has shaped and will continue to shape the 2020-21 academic year.

鈥淚 want all the pieces to be very applicable to this time and this situation,鈥� Fuller said. 鈥淲e want it to be something that is uniquely in conversation with 2020-2021 and the current climate.鈥�

Fuller speculated that most submissions will revolve around the topics that have seemingly defined 2020 thus far 鈹� the pandemic, racial injustice and the uncertainty surrounding the country鈥檚 future, to name a few.

Ramirez also believes the journal has a 鈥済igantic opportunity鈥� to not only reflect the many issues that 2020 has brought about, but also the feelings of the students who are living through it. And she knows Fuller and her team will succeed in compiling the pieces that will accomplish that objective.

鈥淲e鈥檙e walking on these eggshells every single day,鈥� Ramirez said. 鈥淚 think she鈥檚 got that on her mind and feeling like it鈥檚 the responsibility of this magazine to show our readers art. And that鈥檚 the responsibility of art sometimes, to reflect humanity.鈥�

In efforts to compile a journal that best reflects humanity and the current climate of the world, Fuller said she is placing a larger emphasis on interconnectedness鈹�both in the pieces that comprise the journal, but also among her team.

鈥淚 feel like everything should go together in the sense that it鈥檚 a cohesive journal, not just a bunch of really good pieces individually,鈥� Fuller said. But she also wants the sense of interconnectedness to extend beyond the journal and hopes that the nature of Colonnades during her reign 鈥渇eels more like a community and less like an individualized, everyone does their own work.鈥�

Despite the complications introduced this semester, Fuller is just eager to get started. And the best part? She gets to hold a physical copy of that humanity-reflecting journal at the end of this.

鈥淭o have an actual, physical copy of it is really exciting,鈥� Fuller said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 kind of silly, but it鈥檚 been a dream of mine to write a book one day. And, obviously this isn鈥檛 me writing a book, but it鈥檚 a baby step.鈥�

黑料不打烊 News Network

Perhaps the most impressive qualities of 黑料不打烊 News Network are its esteemed reputation and its eagerness to welcome interested new members from all academic backgrounds, regardless journalism experience, and teach them how to carry out the different roles of the newsroom.

But now, with the seemingly endless list of imposed restrictions and limitations, the greatest challenge has been finding ways to interest and recruit new members without the ability to offer them hands-on teaching or 鈥渂e right over their shoulders, showing them how to do every single thing and every single edit and teach them every single position,鈥� said Jack Norcross 鈥�21, the news director of 黑料不打烊 Local News, which is the broadcast arm of ENN.

And while the team expected some adjustments coming into the fall semester, Norcross said he didn鈥檛 expect the regulations to be as drastic as they are. Studio and newsroom capacities were established back in July, but the team has continually been forced to readjust, even since being back on campus. One of those adjustments: pursuing news stories and interviewing sources in nontraditional ways.

Masked, in-person interviews indoors quickly shifted outside or onto Zoom. And while the dominating video chat platform has provided safe and efficient alternatives to in-person conversations, it has erected roadblocks that news stations across the country have had to avoid, like blurry webcams and poor audio. And ENN is no exception.

鈥淭his is all stuff that you essentially want to air, so it needs to be to a high caliber,鈥� Norcross said. 鈥淏ut it鈥檚 challenging, right? It鈥檚 challenging to find that balance and to not become super reliant on Zoom, but using it rather as a tool that will really help us to continue to do our job of telling the campus鈥� stories.鈥�

In an effort to combat the challenges of recruiting members, ENN has incorporated pre-recorded virtual workshops to teach new members how to write a news story or how to use search engine optimization techniques to help readers find their work. On the broadcast side, though, smaller workshops on how to use studio equipment have also been successful in training new members.

But there鈥檚 been no shortage of news, either. Not only has the team learned to never expect a calm week in the newsroom, they鈥檝e also learned the unique importance of reporting during a time defined by things like racial injustice, COVID-19 and the controversy of the presidential election.

Norcross hopes the passion and drive ENN members have demonstrated this semester will stay, even after the pandemic subsides.

鈥淏ut I hope that everyone learns that, even once the pandemic fades, even once everything fades, I hope people don鈥檛 lose that hyperawareness, don鈥檛 lose that drive to get stories and to get stories right,鈥� he said.

黑料不打烊 Student Television

Whereas other organizations have struggled with rounding up full staffs, 黑料不打烊 Student Television has been faced with the opposite challenge: finding enough opportunities for new members, especially when regular, in-person training on how to carry out different roles is, for the foreseeable future, impractical.

With more adapting comes more responsibility, and with more responsibility comes more work for members. It鈥檚 been difficult, though, to divvy up the additional work when new members, who have little experience working in front of and behind the camera, are unfamiliar with the ropes鈹�even if there are plenty of them. As a result, most of the responsibility has fallen on those who are more experienced, like producers.

鈥淔inding a balance is hard because we don鈥檛 want to give producers this work that they shouldn鈥檛 be doing,鈥� said Ariana Reyes 鈥�21, station manager of ESTV. 鈥淲e need to get people trained on how to use equipment.鈥�

And so, Reyes implemented training program mandates for show producers. Each producer is responsible for facilitating a training program 鈹� hosted either over Zoom or via pre-recorded video 鈹� of their choice. For 鈥満诹喜淮蜢� Tonight,鈥� Reyes said, a training program might include teaching members how to brainstorm dialogues. And for 鈥渆Talk,鈥� training might be practicing color correction in post-production.

Given the in-studio restrictions and the desire to remain practical with what they鈥檙e able to produce, some shows were given reduced episode requirements, Reyes said. 鈥淭hey wanted to be realistic with what they were looking to achieve this semester with everything going on.鈥�

And because there are fewer opportunities and positions available for new members, Reyes has also raised the social media requirements for shows to a more 鈥渄emanding鈥� amount, which has also increased engagement with audiences. Depending on the show, that could mean hosting an Instagram Live event or collaborating on a giveaway.

鈥淚f COVID means that we can鈥檛 have all these people in-studio like we used to, then I have to create more positions outside of the studio,鈥� she said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 our strategy right now in adapting to what we鈥檙e going through: creating more positions, creating more stability in the way that our members are getting involved.鈥�

Aside from social media engagement, though, requiring her teams to do research has helped the organization front this semester鈥檚 鈥渘ew normal.鈥� Teams have been conducting research on how the industry is adapting, and how they can implement similar changes. And Reyes has noticed a significant difference.

鈥淵ou can see that the layout, the dynamic of the show was planned beforehand,鈥� she said. 鈥淵ou can see that they knew what they were thinking about in terms of how the show was going to look. That’s a product of the research that they鈥檝e been doing.鈥�

颁辞濒辞苍苍补诲别蝉听

In a normal year, the editor-in-chief of Colonnades wouldn鈥檛 be thinking about assembling a team, much less a journal, until much later in the fall. But because of the uncertainty that has uninvitedly accompanied this semester, Editor-in-chief Abby Fuller 鈥�21 wanted to get a head start on hiring, understanding that, at any moment in the school year, fully remote instruction is a possibility. And assembling a team as quickly as possible to form that initial sense of community, for Fuller, was non-negotiable.

鈥淚t can be really hard to communicate information digitally because you can鈥檛 get tone and there鈥檚 so much lost in subtext,鈥� Fuller said. 鈥淎nd so this semester, it鈥檚 important to build community and make sure we鈥檙e all on the same page. I think this can be a really good practice on how we communicate with one another digitally.鈥�

Colonnades is an organization that typically functions by way of digital editing and virtual construction of the final publication. Readers can read remotely, designs can be created from home and, while not preferred, Zoom calls can replace in-person conversations. Besides, 鈥減eople are just so used to things happening remotely now,鈥� Fuller added. So, while working remotely may pose challenges for other organizations, Fuller is confident Colonnades is well-equipped to operate behind screens and in front of webcams, if necessary.

Perhaps the greatest challenge for Colonnades is encapsulating through words and art the rollercoaster of emotions students have experienced this year. And former non-fiction editor Fuller believes that being a part of Colonnades right now is more of an honor than ever before.

鈥淟ast year, when I was reading through the creative nonfiction pieces, it just felt like a cool honor that I was the one that got to read through all these stories,鈥� she said. 鈥淭his is just such an emotional and important time for college students and the student body, so I鈥檓 really excited to see what students are going to be writing about.鈥�

Despite the restrictive challenges the pandemic has imposed, Fuller has noticed a silver lining鈹�one she hopes will last within Colonnades after her tenure ends: finding new, creative ways to assemble the publication, rather than just following in the footsteps of the previous editors-in-chief.

鈥淲ith the pandemic, it鈥檚 caused all of us to be like, 鈥業s that the way it鈥檚 always been done, or is there a better way to do it?鈥欌�� she said. 鈥淚 think with this book and the way it comes together, I hope that the culture of Colonnades, in the future, will just look at things differently and create a really good publication of student work that鈥檚 not just following what the EIC before them did.鈥�

Limelight Records

For Limelight Records, 黑料不打烊鈥檚 student-run record label, this semester has revealed many things. Among them are challenges associated with recording in-studio, singing with masks on and finding live performance opportunities for the label鈥檚 signed artists. What鈥檚 been the most obvious, and even rewarding, though, is the demand for something we haven鈥檛 experienced normally since before the pandemic: live music.

Coming into the semester, Limelight President Andrew High 鈥�21 never anticipated the itinerary of live concerts and tours that artists in the organization are used to. In fact, he expected the opposite. But, to his surprise, there has still been a great deal of opportunity for artists to perform live.

鈥淚t really just shows the demand for live music,鈥� High said. 鈥淸Live music] is still a super popular thing, and a lot of these events have really good showings in the crowds and in the audience because, you know, there haven鈥檛 been concerts for six months. So, now that you have a chance to go see live music, people are excited about it.鈥�

Artists, like Eliza Spear and Paloma, have played at socially-distanced concerts in the Raleigh-Durham area, as well as local events 鈹� the annual Fall Pumpkin Festival and homecoming celebrations to name a few. Despite the slight muffling of voices behind masks, artists are just happy to be on stage again and are 鈥渕ore concerned about keeping people safe than getting the perfect vocal take,鈥� High said.

Aside from performing live, masked and socially-distanced, artists have found additional ways to adapt and continue creating. While some are filming studio sessions and posting them on social media, others are teaming up with WSOE 89.3 FM, a collaboration that would involve a Limelight artist performing in-studio and streamed directly onto the radio station.

For High, finding ways to carry out a close-to-normal routine this semester is just another part of keeping up with the music industry. 鈥淭he industry changes so quickly,鈥� he said, 鈥渁nd I just see this as another aspect of always having to be ready to adapt and change to fit the space we have to fill.鈥�

And for Limelight, High believes the space they have to fill is celebrating the power of music, virus or no virus.

鈥淚t鈥檚 a very divisive political landscape and a very divisive moment in time,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 think having an experience of everyone coming together and watching music and art be created is a really easy way to connect with people on a deeper level that celebrates the better sides of being a human.鈥�

Phi Psi Cli聽

With the lack of commotion on campus, whether in the classroom or on the football field, and the uncertainty of what the calendar of events will look like, Phi Psi Cli has been forced to adjust its normal agenda. And it鈥檚 safe to say that documenting a school year that hardly exists like it used to has been the greatest adjustment.

鈥淚t’s been a little bit difficult just because with the yearbook, our whole thing is about the year at 黑料不打烊, and right now it鈥檚 hard to determine what that looks like,鈥� editor-in-chief Kathryn Williams 鈥�22 said. 鈥淲e don鈥檛 know if we鈥檙e going to have sports in the winter or spring or what events will still happen and what events will get canceled.鈥�

In years past, events like homecoming, fall and spring convocations, and fall sports have taken up a lot of surface area. But without those events to count on, the organization has been forced to be innovative with page designs and spreads. Some ideas for page spreads include the creativity of masks around campus and Zoom fitness classes. But, perhaps, less coverage of larger campus events has been a positive, as yearbook writers and editors have been able to shine a larger spotlight on the organizations that sometimes disappear into the shadow of athletics and campus-wide celebrations.

In preparing for the uncertainty that comes with the rest of the semester, let alone the school year, Williams has anticipated what a remote transition would look like. In doing so, she has begun teaching members how to use the necessary resources 鈹� like Adobe Illustrator and InDesign. Fortunately, she had great leadership from last year to follow.

鈥淪ince last year in the spring we had to go remote, it鈥檚 given me a little bit of an insight on how to work around it,鈥� she said. 鈥淓mery (Eisner) did a really great job of getting an online team together last year. Once we went remote, she reached out to everyone and saw who had the necessary tools to work remotely because some people didn鈥檛.鈥�

And now Williams has done the same for her team.

Despite the unavoidable challenges brought about by the virus, Williams said she has confidence in their ability to put together a yearbook that accurately reflects what this school year has looked like, even if it takes extra brainstorming and creativity to do it.

WSOE 89.3 FM

While hanging out with one another in the station 鈹� on their cool couches and underneath mood lights strung from the ceiling 鈹� is no longer a safe option for members of WSOE 89.3 FM, the organization has found different ways to enhance the unparalleled community aspect that so regularly characterizes it.

In many ways, the transition to remote communication hasn鈥檛 been easy, but it鈥檚 been especially challenging for WSOE, whose organization-wide gatherings are what allow members to 鈥渕eet new people and they get to hear about new shows,鈥� general manager Mabel Kitchens 鈥�21 said. But, the most important part of the gatherings, whether they鈥檙e in person or over Zoom, has been recognizing and praising DJs for their shows by handing out awards. And Kitchens knows that from experience.

For Kitchens, the awards are impactful, as they prove to the DJs that their shows are being listened to. In fact, receiving an award her freshman year was the moment she knew she wanted to pursue the organization further, and she knows that could be the case for other members, too. 鈥淪o those awards have to keep happening,鈥� she said.

It鈥檚 no secret that operating a radio station entails managing highly touched surfaces and microphones. And because COVID is a highly infectious respiratory virus, normal operating conditions don鈥檛 work. The only possibility of a somewhat normal semester required extensive preparation and a lot of teamwork.

鈥淲SOE was going to be one of the hot spots for contamination if we were to resume everything in the fall, so I knew that I was going to have to make a lot of adjustments鈹�more than regular classrooms or other organizations that can meet independently,鈥� Kitchens said.

But, with the help and collaboration of the executive staff, faculty advisors and an alumnus at Sirius XM, Mabel and her team were able to brainstorm alternatives. One of them? Pre-recording shows.

鈥淭ypically, when you go live, you go into the station when your show time is and you press a button and you鈥檙e live for an hour,鈥� Kitchens said. 鈥淲hat we鈥檙e doing now is we鈥檙e asking everyone to pre-record, which means they鈥檙e doing the actual recording outside of the station.鈥�

Many documents, training guides and shared Google folders later, members have been taught how to record audio on their phones and then edit through post-production programs, like Adobe Audition, from wherever they are. According to Kitchens, 鈥渋t keeps things normal as far as you hear on the radio, but on the back end of things it鈥檚 a few more steps.鈥�

During her tenure, which begins this fall, Wilkes plans to refocus the student news organization鈥檚 efforts as the journalism industry pivots more and more to online content.

Because the role of executive director also functions as managing editor of ENN鈥檚 website, Wilkes will oversee the organization鈥檚 online platforms. And she can鈥檛 wait to get started.

鈥淚 wanted to apply to be executive director because I believe in web-first journalism,鈥� said Wilkes, a journalism and political science double major. 鈥淥ne of the things I want to do is push our digital presence as an organization forward because we, right now, currently have a paper and two broadcasts. But I really think the future of journalism is in digital and online.鈥�

In addition to the website, Wilkes will be responsible for working with ENN鈥檚 social media team to increase digital foot traffic and awareness of the organization鈥檚 online presence.

鈥淭hat鈥檚 how we get all of our stories out there 鈥� through social media,鈥� Wilkes said.

The extent of Wilkes鈥� digital emphasis is one the organization has yet to see in an executive director. And it鈥檚 not surprising to ENN faculty adviser and journalism lecturer Kelly Furnas that Wilkes is leading this charge.

鈥淪he doesn’t accept the status quo or fall into the trap of doing things just because they’ve always been done that way,鈥� Furnas said.

Jack Haley ’21, ENN鈥檚 current executive director, expects Wilkes鈥� improvisation will be a benefit to the organization.

鈥淔or the past four years, it seems like people in the executive director role, very much myself included, have tried to follow a script on how things should be done instead of trying to figure out different ways to do things,鈥� Haley said. 鈥淚 wouldn’t be shocked if Mackenzie scraps things and finds a lot of success doing things her own way.鈥�

Wilkes not only recognizes the importance of web-first journalism, but also the power of news in the 黑料不打烊 community and beyond. She believes it is ENN鈥檚 responsibility to effectively inform and educate.

鈥淥ur audience is the faculty, staff and students at the university, yes,鈥� Wilkes said. 鈥淏ut we also report on the Town of 黑料不打烊 and Alamance County. So it鈥檚 really important that we are informing our audience in the most effective way.鈥�

For Wilkes, that 鈥渨ay鈥� means reaching audiences through a more ubiquitous and increasingly popular medium: the internet.

鈥淲e have a website, and I really want us to start utilizing it more effectively,鈥� she said.

The role of executive director wasn鈥檛 always on Wilkes鈥� radar, especially not when she walked into the newsroom during Fellows Weekend two years ago.

鈥淚 got really concerned with the value of digital and online news,鈥� Wilkes said. 鈥淎nd then I saw the executive director position and I was like, 鈥榃ait, that鈥檚 something that would really be interesting to me.鈥欌��

Applying for the top spot in the student media organization seemed like a natural next step from her position as politics editor, a position Wilkes began this past spring semester and, according to Haley, she has 鈥渆xcelled in.鈥�

And considering Wilkes鈥� experience in journalism and politics only began once she stepped foot on campus, it鈥檚 safe to say the Greensboro native has come a long way 鈥� and fast.

In addition to serving as politics editor, Wilkes has been involved in nearly all aspects of the newsroom. Between reporting, working on the broadcast side, writing for the newspaper and now transitioning to an online focus, Wilkes has kept herself busy with 鈥渁 little bit of everything,鈥� she said.

鈥淪he always seems to be working on a project, if not multiple projects,鈥� Haley said. 鈥淢ackenzie has been the type of person to constantly step up and answer the call whether she has been asked to or not.鈥�

Since the fall semester, Wilkes has taken the reins of ENN Radio, a weekly podcast that was started by alumnus Alex Hager 鈥�19.

Haley said he worried that when Hager left the podcast could flounder. But Wilkes took over and did what she does best: make things her own.

鈥淪he had an idea for what she wanted it to be: the stories behind the stories. And she saw that through,鈥� Haley said. 鈥淥ne of my biggest worries with the podcast was that it would fall apart after Hager left and it wouldn’t continue. However, Mackenize came in and not only continued it, but helped it flourish.鈥�

Furnas said Wilkes鈥� guidance of the podcast is one of her two greatest achievements so far with the organization. The second was her leadership of ENN鈥檚 primary election Super Tuesday coverage, the majority of which she coordinated as politics editor.

鈥淚鈥檓 really proud of all of our Super Tuesday coverage that we just did,鈥� Wilkes said. 鈥淚t was a big moment for me.鈥�

Wilkes鈥� transition will look different this year 鈥� thanks largely to the university鈥檚 move to remote instruction due to COVID-19 鈥� but Haley has no doubt she can handle it with ease.

鈥淯nfortunately, we do not have the luxury of training together,鈥� Haley said. “However, that does not at all diminish what I think Mackenzie is capable of.鈥�