Org of the Month: February 2019
Congratulations to The Vanguard and all of their staff for being named SP&E’s Org of the Month for the month of March! After almost a two-year break, Bentley’s student-run newspaper is making a comeback in a major way. Elizabeth Barker, Editor-In-Chief of The Vanguard, shared with us a little bit about why she’s excited for its return, as well as what makes this org is so important to student life on campus.
Why is having The Vanguard back on campus such an integral part of student life and involvement on campus?
“The Vanguard offers students a large platform to share their voices on issues impacting the Bentley community, which is why it’s return has been important to campus life. It is also a critical method for students, faculty and staff to learn about these issues from a student perspective. In addition, The Vanguard offers students another creative platform to get involved with. At a business school, it is imperative that students still have outlets to channel their creativity towards! Finally, The Vanguard provides students an authentic way to participate in the exciting world of print journalism, which has become a dying art due to the rise of social media.”
What prompted The Vanguard to leave campus in the first place?
“Unfortunately, a managerial fiasco in March 2017 that could not be resolved resulted in the hiatus. Student Programs and Engagement created an initiative during the Spring 2018 semester after realizing the hiatus had been occurring for over a year. The initiative officially kicked off during the Fall 2018 semester and with the support of a group of enthusiastic students looking forward to bringing the publication back to campus, it made its official return with the first publication in almost two years released this February.”
What do you look for in the types of stories The Vanguard publishes?
“We look for stories that cover a wide range of genres, with a focus on our four sections: news, opinions, entertainment, and sports. The most important part of these stories is that the writer’s voice is able to be echoed through their piece. It is our hope that the Bentley community becomes more informed about issues that impact the campus as well as gain a greater insight into the topics that students are most interested in talking about. We also hope that by reading The Vanguard, the community can learn more about campus life through a student’s perspective.”
How often can students expect an issue of The Vanguard?
“Students can expect a new issue every other Thursday, with our next edition coming out on Thursday, March 28. If the organization continues to expand, we hope to become a weekly publication with new editions released every Thursday.”
What do you look for in student writers, and how can students become involved in The Vanguard?
“We look for student writers that are excited to cover stories from a large variety of topics. From campus events to pop culture and even international news, we want writers who are passionate about the stories they cover. Anyone can write for The Vanguard and all an interested member needs to do is attend an article assignment meeting or reach out to the GA account (ga_vanguard@bentley.edu) to express interest.”
“We are still looking to grow our organization and cannot do so without the help of students! If you are interested in writing, production and layout, marketing, or photography, or have any other skills that you think will help, please email us at ga_vanguard@bentley.edu. In addition, make sure to follow us on Instagram at @bentleyvanguard!”
Many thanks to Elizabeth Barker and the rest of The Vanguard team for their hard work and dedication, and congrats again on being named Org of the Month! Keep up the great work!
