In an effort to continue promoting diverse reporting, The Daily Universe is accepting applications from students interested in reporting for the Winter Semester Cub Desk.
?This is our way of letting students who are aspiring to or want to be a part of the paper make it more diverse,? said Marie Gross, special sections editor for The Daily Universe. Gross is in charge of the Cub Desk this semester.
The Cub Desk allows non-journalism students to apply for and become reporters for The Daily Universe.
?It?s nice that we have students writing for us who are in other majors?who can inform us of news that is going on outside the Comms Department and other departments that do not send us press releases,? said Amelia Nielson-Stowell, editor-in-chief at The Daily Universe.
?A lot of people are under the impression that we know everything that is going on on-campus, but we don?t,? Nielson-Stowell said.
Reporters generally get story ideas from press releases, phone calls or tips, she said.
Nielson-Stowell said it?s good to have a variety of writers at The Daily Universe because in the real world, a lot of journalists have varied backgrounds.
The Cub Desk began Fall Semester 2004 in response to a Daily Universe panel last year.
?A student asked why the normal student body, who are not PR, broadcast or print majors, are not allowed to write for The Daily Universe,? Nielson-Stowell said. At most universities volunteers write the student paper, she said.
The Daily Universe is unique because primarily journalism students write for the paper as part of their classes. Students from Comms 321, 377 and 420 write for The Daily Universe.
Scott Ross, a creative writing major, wrote for the Cub Desk last semester. ?It?s an incredible experience to get into print,? he said.
Ross wrote two articles last semester and said he had a positive experience working in the newsroom environment.
?I totally recommend it,? said Afton Johnson, an English major who also wrote for Cub Desk last semester. Johnson said learning about a different writing style was a great experience.
Carrie Sheffield, editor of the Cub Desk last semester, said her reporters would typically turn in a story once every two weeks. She said the reporters don?t have any sort of outside motivation to write, so they must be self-motivated.
?If anyone is interested in doing it this semester, make sure they are willing to stick it out to the end,? Sheffield said.
To apply for the Cub Desk, students should come to NewsNet, room 152 in the Brimhall Building, ask for and fill out an application at the front desk, submit a few writing samples and take a writing test. Two Cub Desk positions are currently open and applications are due by Jan. 28.
