Get the scoop on The Stylus
We welcome your input

The Stylus has a good reputation of being the source of reliable news for SUNY Brockport. We were rated No. 1 of the SUNY colleges and No. 2 out of all SUNY colleges and universities in a recent student opinion poll. A campus newspaper should provide top news concerning the happenings on campus as well as how local and national events affect the campus, riveting opinion pieces, engaging entertainment and tantalizing sport stories.  We attempt to provide the information students want, after all, this is your newspaper.

There are changes that we would like to see, starting with you telling us what The Stylus can do for you. Please realize that we are students as well.  You have probably seen us scarfing down a giant cookie in the Union or day-dreaming in class.

We are constantly attempting to be responsive to people’s wishes and hope you will provide us with feedback.  If there is something in the paper that bothers you, ticks you off, pleases you, makes you giggle or just flat out frustrates you, let us know.  We are willing to sit down and talk to you about your needs in a student newspaper. Please don’t hesitate to come to the office in the Union basement, write us a letter, send us a note, call us or e-mail us. We want to hear what you have to say. 

We cannot properly portray your best interests without hearing about them.  Don’t be afraid to contribute stories or story ideas.  The only way we can continually improve is if we get feedback from our readers. As one of the few student organizations on campus with a weekly tangible product, your assistance in the production would be appreciated.

You can also contribute to the paper by joining our staff. The Stylus is chock full of opportunity.  We have positions for writers, copy editors (grammar kings/queens, this is for you), photographers, Web site development, advertising management, cartoonists and more.  What better way to practice what you are learning, or what you like to do, then by getting involved with The Stylus. For more information about getting involved with the paper contact Editor in Chief Maria Kinsley at stylus@brockport.edu.

One suggestion The Stylus staff has for improvement is making changes in the communication department. Although not all readers (or staff members) are communication or journalism majors, changes in the communications curriculum could benefit us all. Classes could be added teaching the fundamentals of layout programs such as Adobe InDesign, digital imagery programs such as Adobe Photoshop or general publication/design classes.  Increases in the photography department would be beneficial as well, with an addition of photojournalism or digital photography classes.  We could improve the paper more if we had a greater pool of knowledge to work from. 

Offering courses where homework assignments that are selected for publication in The Stylus by our editing staff would be beneficial as well, so we’re getting material and students are getting credit.  More support of The Stylus from the communications department would be highly beneficial, because it is a direct source of experience for what they teach. Also, cooperation from school officials with The Stylus staff is appreciated, as we provide publicity for events, departments and campaigns.  Please respect the journalistic endeavors of The Stylus staff just as you would respect any other group of students working for a cause.

Everyone has “spring ahead” on their mind with daylight savings time coming up.  The Stylus has changed substantially in the past few years, but with a little more help we could “spring ahead” too.

After spring break, be on the lookout in the Union and on our Web site, www.brockportstylus.com, for the perfect opportuniy to give us your feedback in our readership survey.

In the meantime, send Letters to the Editor to stylus@brockport.edu by Sundays at noon. Letters should be less than 500 words. We hope to hear from you.