Welcome back Pokes! I hope everyone had a good, safe and fun break. Before we get into the swing of the next semester, I would like to take this moment to reflect on some of the things we’ve learned as a staff. We have had a hell of a semester, made some mistakes and at the same time broke some big stories. However, we have also had many opportunities and experiences to help us grow as writers and editors.
At the start of winter break, our Online Editor, Seth Haack; Sports Editor, Joel Moline and myself, Editor-in-Chief, Taylor Hannon, had the opportunity to travel to Boise, Idaho to watch the Cowboys claim victory over the Central Michigan Chippewas. We attended the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl and brought coverage to fans across the nation. We were able to gain experience on the field shooting and attending different press conferences; growing our knowledge and skill sets.
Then toward the end of our break, members of our staff were given the opportunity to attend the Wyoming Press Association (WPA) conference in Casper. We had five editors attend as well as one reporter. Editors include: Taylor Hannon, Brad Horne, Bailie Allemand, William Wise and Courtney Kudera, plus our reporter, Mariya Amrayeva. In the conference we were able to network and talk to newspaper professionals across the state; obtaining pointers and information that could better the paper and ourselves as writers. Our staff attended workshops put on by a variety of individuals, from a previous professor at the university, Ken Smith, to the Editor Joshua Wolfson and Education and Health reporter Seth Klamann at the Casper Star Tribune, who taught us different aspects of journalism.
Also in Casper, we were able to tour the KCWY13 studio, a news broadcast station. We saw behind the scenes footage of the work that goes into a production. This gave us the opportunity to ask questions and learn more about different industries that could be our plausible future.
These are opportunities to help us become better reporters and in return better writers. For this next semester, we will combine all of the knowledge that we have received and use it in the Branding Iron.
Our goals are to continue to bring you relevant news and events as they come forth. I cannot promise you that we will not make mistakes, as we are always learning and a student-run paper. However, I can promise you that as reporters and editors we will do the best we can every night to produce a paper for you, the people, our readers.
The mistakes made last year and the new knowledge learned over the break will only aid in the production of the Branding Iron. What will be continued from last year is our fight to obtain shield laws in the state of Wyoming. Our staff believes very strongly on these issues and the need for protection for journalists. The administration is working with us in order to update or change the policy for student journalists. Every step counts and we will continue to work with the administration in order to obtain a policy that is beneficial and addresses concerns for both parties.
If you are looking for new and exciting opportunities and want to write or take pictures, we are always looking for more journalists! You do not have to be a journalism major or minor, just someone with a passion for writing. If you are interested, please apply online at the university website through the Student Job listings.
