So often we Decaturian writers hear, “Wait, we have a newspaper?” and “Newspapers still exist?” Yes, we do have a student run newspaper (obviously), and yes, newspapers are a dying industry.

We love our student writers. Some are extremely committed. They write a story or two every week. They spend long hours on the weekends trying to get layout done and get the paper ready to be printed. Others take stories every now and then, which is perfectly fine.

We have English majors, Communication majors, and even Theater, Science, and Math majors. We take everyone. We want different opinions and different topics brought to the table every week.

But here is the problem: we need more staffers.

The most common excuse we hear when we talk to people about working for the Decaturian is, “I don’t like writing,” or “I am not good at writing.” Believe us, we get it. 

Not everyone’s strong suit is writing. But here’s the thing. You are attending college. Even if you are majoring in something other than English, you will write for your classes. What better way to improve your writing than to write for a school newspaper?

Our editors (obviously) edit the articles we receive. We not only make sure your articles are ready to be published, but we are also more than willing to help you write articles and help you be a better writer. Plus, putting on a resume that you had work published by our newspaper looks great.

If you are still not considering writing for the Decaturian because you really do not like writing, then that is okay, too. We need photographers. We need people to go to events such as sporting events, musical events, theater events, among everything else happening on and off campus. Do you want to practice taking pictures? Great, we want you. Are you majoring in something related to photography? Help us by taking pictures and we will help you get more experience. We even have a section called “Picture of the Week.”

Are you into graphic design? Great, so are we. We are always looking for some fun, cool graphics to go on our newspapers. Again, it will help you get the experience and practice you need while helping us make our papers look better.

Not super into/good at art? We still have room for you. We need people to post our stories online and help our social media presence. We all know online and social media is how most people under 30 connect with the world.

We want you. No matter what your major is. No matter what your opinions are. We want you. We want more writers. We need more sports writers. We need more photographers. We need graphic designers. We need people to work on our online presence. 

The Decaturian is supposed to be the voice of Millikin and we want to be that, but it is so hard to do when we fall short staff wise. The handful of students who do write and take pictures cannot keep this going without your help. 

If you want something to change on campus, be the change. If you have something to say, write about it for the newspaper or we can work with you to make your voice heard. 

Still on the fence about joining? The Decaturian offers those who help with any aspect of the newspaper one-credit for their work. 

The Decaturian meets once a week 7-8 p.m. on Monday nights in the University Commons 144. Everyone is welcome. We also have a lobby table in the University Commons lobby area once a week, Mondays 11-1 p.m. where we especially want to hear your voice. You do not even have to join the Decaturian to stop by the table to give us your input.

If you cannot make the meetings, that is okay. Contact information for each section are:

News: Sydney Sinks: [email protected]

Arts: Caleb Kelch: [email protected]

Features: Rebekah Icenesse: [email protected]

Views: Kathryn Coffey: [email protected]

Sports: Jordan Diver: [email protected]