May 09, 2017
Hannah Harvey
When I started my first semester at UCCS, I was looking for ways to make an impact.
I applied to The Scribe as a reporter, but I didn’t intend on becoming a journalist; I just wanted to build my resume.
Now, as I enter my junior year at UCCS this fall, I will lead The Scribe as editor-in-chief.
I didn’t intend to move up at this newspaper, but The Scribe quickly became my home away from home.
Working at this newspaper has provided me with opportunities that I didn’t think existed – to grow as a writer, to grow as a student, to grow in my career and to grow as a well-rounded human being.
For me, and so many others on the staff, The Scribe has provided me a space to explore my skills, my talents, my weaknesses and find what I truly love to do.
As someone who now intends to pursue a career in journalism after I graduate, the opportunity to lead The Scribe is a privilege and an honor to continue the legacy that our newspaper has had on campus.
It is my hope to grow our staff, to teach them how to be skilled, ethical and trustworthy journalists who know how to fairly write a story and represent all sides in a neutral way – something that we all know is becoming a lost art in the media landscape.
I love journalism; I’ve dedicated the last two years of my life to this field, and I intend to dedicate my future to it as well. When I started as a reporter, I didn’t appreciate or entirely understand the purpose of why we write.
But The Scribe, which loosely acts as UCCS’ journalism program, exists to give that to students, whether they become reporters for us or glance at the front page story once a week.
Each journalist has a different reason for why they’re in the industry. For me, it’s about the people – my sources, my staff and my readers.
Witnessing the impact that both my and my talented staff’s words have had over the last two years has been eye-opening. It’s probably obvious to say, but we don’t underestimate the power of communication.
This semester, I completed an internship with a local newspaper where I got to attend an event with the people whom I wrote about.
I got to see one of my subject’s family members react to my article; I experienced that emotion and feel that gratitude.
I’ve seen that with my staff as well; we’ve received positive critique for what we write, and it’s always a reaffirmation of what we do.
Sometimes, the criticism is quite negative; it’s not always constructive, or written in the best way that it could be.
But I’ve seen the power that writing has to develop a smarter, stronger person. I’ve seen how it can make someone be humbler and practice more humility. These positive and negative ways of feedback only help us to be better.
As editor-in-chief of The Scribe, I want to continue to encourage the impact that journalism can have to grow our writers, our readers and their understanding of each other.
We don’t always get to witness how our words affect our readers. But for us, that isn’t what it’s about.
We write to tell other people’s stories, to break news and to inform students. Luckily, in the process, we grow ourselves.
This is what I hope to continue at The Scribe next year and beyond.
I hope you continue to grow with us.