The Branding Iron Student Media office is hosting an open house on Wednesday, Nov. 17, in Union Room 001 at 6:30 p.m. Students are invited to come and see what student media is about and to get involved in the process.
As the office opens its doors, a few members of the Branding Iron, both past and present, spoke on why students should be interested and look into an opportunity with the Branding Iron.
Kasen Urhammer, the Online Editor for the Branding Iron, said that the job is essential for building up different experiences and becoming a more well-rounded worker.
“The biggest opportunity I am getting with the Branding Iron is working in a more diverse workplace environment,” Urhammer said. “Purely by virtue of the range of content we cover.”
“I feel like in any job I do in the future, [the experience here] will help me be more confident as a person,” said Staff Writer Emma Jones. “I think it also helped me realize I can have an impact with just the things I say and what I write.”
Staff Writer Erin Ramsey echoed a similar sentiment.
“I gained a lot of confidence and communication ability,” Ramsey said. “I had to learn to approach strangers or anyone for an interview or put myself out there for research and a story.”
Former Editor-in-Chief, Victoria Pumilio said that she felt the paper highlighted student voices on campus.
“This paper is about getting those student voices and it’s important for students to come and be part of the staff to help put their voices out there,” Pumilio said.
Former Editor-in-Chief, Lauren Heath said that journalism is something all students should consider, not just Journalism majors.
“Students who are Journalism majors should 100% apply here because this is the type of experience employers will be looking for,” Heath said. “But I would encourage all students to apply just because it gets you out of your comfort zone and connected with the community of Laramie.”
Graphic Designer and former Broadcast Manager and Editor-in-chief Brian Bessey said that the Branding Iron offers real-life performative experience.
“It’s hands-on work,” Bessey said. “It’s a learning lab, you’re going to learn.”
The staff was in universal agreement that the Branding Iron was not just a good opportunity for Journalism students, but all students from all backgrounds.
“You don’t have to have a certain skill set to do it,” Jones said. “There is a lot of support to help anyone succeed here, it’s a pretty inclusive environment.”
Heath and Ramsey both argued that the skills refined in the Branding Iron are not just journalism-based and extend out to multiple fields.
“I feel the biggest impact is on how someone writes and their overall writing skills,” Ramsey said. “Writing is essential for any field and this has helped me become a much better writer.
Urhammer argued that those outside of journalism may want to look into the Branding Iron as a way to expand the experiences and content someone can show.
“I think the most valuable thing is having a diverse portfolio of content, of work that you’re doing that’ll help adaptability in any workplace environment,” Urhammer said.
Jones said that beyond the journalism and writing skills, the Branding Iron was a great way to connect to the community.
“I think you can, through writing and recording, inform people and showcase different things in the community,” Jones said. “Just help people understand their community more.”
“We cover events, breaking news, a whole bunch of potential stories,” Heath said. “That’s really important for getting the word out there and helping people understand their community.”
Urhammer highlighted the importance of the open house and what it could mean for prospective students.
“It’s a time to ask a lot of questions upfront and do a lot of exploring to get a good idea of what you want,” Urhammer said. “The more the rest of us understand what your goals are, the better the experience you’ll have.”
Pumilio and Heath, as being graduates of the university and the Branding Iron, emphasized the importance to future careers.
“I would not have the position I have now without the experience of the Branding Iron,” Heath said. “Journalist employers obviously look for experience and that is what the Branding Iron is there for.”
Pumilio argued that the experience of the Branding Iron could extend out to any job or profession, and therefore the Branding Iron is an experience that could benefit finding that “dream job”.
“Instead of just having my education, now I can come in and show that I can do graphic design and make videos,” Bessey said. “Without student media, I wouldn’t have figured out I wanted to do these things and when I go out to the field, I’ll be a much more diverse candidate.”
The Branding Iron open house will be the opportunity for any student to come in and get an understanding of the opportunity presented by working with Student Media.
