News

Student publications select editors

Junior Martha Fernandez and senior Vince Wetzel use the tools of their trade to tease one another. Both are journalism majors and will lead next semester’s publications. Fernandez, who usually uses her pencil for writing breaking stories for the Campus Times, will be the paper’s spring editor in chief. Wetzel will be pounding away on the keyboard for another issue of La Verne Magazine next semester as its editor in chief. / photo by Rosie Sinapi
Junior Martha Fernandez and senior Vince Wetzel use the tools of their trade to tease one another. Both are journalism majors and will lead next semester’s publications. Fernandez, who usually uses her pencil for writing breaking stories for the Campus Times, will be the paper’s spring editor in chief. Wetzel will be pounding away on the keyboard for another issue of La Verne Magazine next semester as its editor in chief. / photo by Rosie Sinapi

by Lori Cruz
Staff Writer

Spring editors for the University’s student publications have been named by the Communications Department.

Junior Martha Fernandez was selected editor in chief of the Campus Times, which publishes every Friday each semesters.

Fernandez is in her third semester on the Times staff. She is currently managing editor, responsible for the news section of the paper. Last spring, she was features editor.

Senior Vince Wetzel was chosen to lead La Verne Magazine’s as the editor in chief. The magazine is published once a semester.

Both are journalism majors.

Wetzel is the assistant editor of the magazine this semester. He has been writing for the magazine for two semesters. He also wrote for the Campus Times for two semesters.

“I’m excited, but it’s kind of scary,” said Fernandez of her future as editor in chief. “This is going to be a good experience.”

Currently, the Campus Times has nine staff writers. Next semester the number of staff reporters will be much larger, with about 15 students.

“We’ll have to figure out what to do with all of the people,” said Fernandez. “It [the paper] will be handled differently than in the past.”

One major change next semester will bring is that the editors will have more time editing stories than being staff writers.

This is good, Fernandez said because, ”a lot of us need to brush up on our editorial skills. Most of us enjoy writing, but now we have to do more editing.”

She added that along with the editors doing their jobs as columnists, editorial writers and page editors, the staff will be able to “catch more mistakes.”

One personal strategy Fernandez plans to use is “to manage my time more carefully and brush up on the stylebook,” which is said to be the editor’s bible.

She said about the new staff, who are mostly beginning writers, “We’ll be able to help them get their skills up to par.”

“Martha has the personality and skills to be a good editor and leader,” said Eric Bishop, assistant professor of journalism and the Campus Times faculty adviser. “She has worked hard while on staff and I really have confidence in the job she’ll do as editor.”

Wetzel said he is not sure what changes he will bring to the magazine this year, but said he has “kicked around some ideas about future stories.”

Magazine writing and production is much different than the practice of creating a weekly newspaper.

“The deadline pressure is not there as much, but you need to write more in-depth stories,” he said of the differences.

He said the difference is that writing on the magazine is like an “advanced journalism production class.

“You can’t just scratch the surface,” he said.

You may not be writing as many stories, but Wetzel added that magazine writing requires research more before the interviews.

The magazine has 32 pages, and it has a “historical kind of context. It’s tied to the school, but it’s a community type of magazine,” said Wetzel.

“The magazine has many subscribers and it is put in many libraries around the Inland Empire,” Wetzel said.

“Vince is an extremely talented individual who works well with people,” said Dr. George Keeler, associate professor of journalism and faculty adviser of La Verne Magazine.

“He is a prolific writer. He understands the University of La Verne. He understands the La Verne Magazine. And he understands the importance of producing a quality publication,” Dr. Keeler said.

Wetzel said he is finished with all his “other stuff” like his senior project, “The Hometown Football Report,” which was aired every Friday night on LVTV, and his internship for the Los Angeles Dodgers, which ended with the baseball season.

“I’m now concentrating on this editorship,” he said.

“This will help as far as more writing experience and also help with my organizational skill. It will help with my resumé too, of course,” Wetzel added.

After college, Wetzel hopes to pursue a career as a television sports anchor or sports reporter.

Fernandez is interested in teaching English or Spanish or advising a school newspaper.

“Maybe I’ll go to grad school,” she added. “A master’s in education looks very attractive to me.”

To write on the paper, students must take the News Reporting course, which is offered each semester. For magazine writing, a student must take News Reporting and write on the newspaper for one semester.

Lori Cruz, Editorial Director
Lori Cruz
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Rosie Sinapi, Editor in Chief
Rosie Sinapi
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