Welcome back to campus! It’s that time of year again; the time to buy books, fight for a parking spot and memorize a new semester routine.
Along with more obvious changes in your life, you may notice a few changes in the masthead as well as the layout of this page. (Opinion editor Cynthia Halatyn talks more about her page below.)
As for The Daily Campus as whole, I thought I would kickoff the New Year by providing some background about the DC and sharing ways you can help shape the voice of this campus through the newspaper.
In the past two years that I have worked for The DC, I have heard many assumptions regarding the paper’s affiliation with SMU. Many people believe The Daily Campus is an extension of the School of Journalism and paid for by the school. The truth is, Student Media Company, Inc. publishes The DC, along with Rotunda yearbook and Directory of Students Staff and Faculty. SMC is a non-profit organization independent from SMU, which is overseen by nine members of the Board of Directors. It has been independent from the university for 75 years, as of this past April.
Through keeping its independence, The DC does not receive any money from the university, including student government.
Like most newspapers, The DC’s main financial support comes from paid advertisements, making it a free four-day news source on campus. The advertising department is overseen by a SMC paid staffer, who advises student-advertising representatives. Like the ad department, a paid editorial advisor currently serves as a mentor to The DC and Rotunda staff. Monday through Thursday nights, an 11-person paid staff of SMU students from various majors put together a four-section paper for you.
Many people assume students who work for or write for the paper are journalism major s.
This perception is also false. Of the 11-person staff, seven are majoring in journalism. Though the majority of the staff is majoring in journalism, many have either an additional major and/or a minor. And, not only do we come from varying educational backgrounds, but also varying extracurriculars. From student organizations to sports, we bring to The DC a multitude of perspectives.
Each semester brings an opportunity to diversify the staff even further. This semester is no exception. Currently, the following paid staff positions are open: sports editor, associate sports editor, layout editor and online editor. We are always looking for contributing writers for news, sports, opinion and entertainment. The most important quality a DC applicant can bring to the table is commitment. So, whether you are interested in politics, sports, music or you just have a curious nature, there is a place for you at The DC.
