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The Official Stylus Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) List
General FAQQ: What are your publication dates for the fall 2006 semester? A:
Q: I want to write for The Stylus. Where do I begin? A: Contact the editor-in-chief immediately at stylus@brockport.edu or, if you’re not e-mail-inclined, by phone at (585) 395-2230 and let her know your interests: news? Sports? Reviews? Event coverage? Opinions? She’ll get you hooked up with the appropriate section editor. Once you’ve done that, you can be added to a number of e-mail lists that will include top stories for the week that need to be covered or investigated. It’s first come first serve after that – meaning, if there’s a really good story on the list, grab it while you can and run with it. Good writing trumps seniority, so if you’ve got the best news story of the week you’ll probably end up on front page, which is a great way to gain recognition.
Q: What are the benefits of writing for The Stylus? A: Money is not one of them, if that’s what you’re hoping for. Only editors get paid, and that’s not even all that much. Writing positions are, sadly, unpaid. However, if you’re serious about being a journalist, getting your name in print is far more important than any, any class you will ever take at school. Sorry, we know that’s going to hurt when you get your tuition bill, but it’s the sad truth. Just about the entire staff feels they have learned more about journalism by working for The Stylus than in everything else they have done in their college careers. A journalism without a byline doesn’t mean much. On the other hand, a number of Stylus writers who’ve really worked to get their names in print have gone on to bigger, prestigious jobs and internships at papers in New York state and beyond.
Q: How do I become an editor? A: Prove your worth as a writer. There’s little chance of joining the editorial staff if you haven’t proved yourself as a writer. Do good and be consistent with your writing and we may consider you for an associate editor position under one of the section editors. People are always moving up and graduating from the Stylus staff and we’re filling positions nearly every semester. Associate editors and other regular writers usually get first crack at filling the vacancies – and any member of the staff is a possibility for the big jobs of editor in chief and executive editor if they pull their weight and prove their worth. Don’t sell yourself short. It’s never too late to get involved.
Q: I wrote something really cool for a class and want to get it published. What guidelines do you have? A: Around 700 (and preferably with a picture) is just about right. Please let us know before hand that you’re writing it so we don’t end up cutting it for space restraints Monday afternoon. E-mail stylus@brockport.edu.
Q: I want to write a letter to the editor. A: First of all, that’s not a question. That’s a statement, so just go out and write it. Any letters to the editor go straight to campustalk.editor@gmail.com. Try to keep them under 700 words or we may have to cut for space restraints.
Q: Why do you miss so many big events? A: We try not to. But here’s how it works: The paper comes out on Wednesdays. All submissions are due the Friday before, with the exception of some events that occur on Mondays. Monday is the big layout day when all the content is put into newspaper format. The paper ships out Monday night, is printed and put up on-line on Tuesday, and returned in paper format for Wednesday afternoon distribution. You can generally find copies by 5 p.m. Wednesdays. The only problem with the deal is if something happens Tuesday or Wednesday there’s no way it will be covered until the paper comes out the following Wednesday. We try to cover everything, but we’re limited in the time we have to do so.
Q: You do realize you're responsible for depleting half the national forestry with your thousands of extra issues a week, right? A: We recycle! The Stylus is an environmentally-friendly business. All extra papers are recycled. We'd love to cut down on the extras, but currently our only options have been to either print too many papers, or not enough -- and just think of how sad you'd be if you went to the Stylus bin on Wednesday and found it empty.
Q: Who’re the idiots who wrote those anonymous editorials in the Campus Talk section? A: Those idiots are the Stylus editorial board, consisting of the editor-in-chief, executive editor, four section editors, and four copy editors. All topics are approved by the editorial board and assigned to different members of the staff each week. They are not anonymous; they are Stylus board editorials, and since they reflect the board, they do not have individual names on them. A full listing of the staff can be found in the column to the left of the editorials in the print version.
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