New student media leaders announced

By Lydia Laythe, Staff Writer laythe16@up.edu

The University announced the new student media leaders for next year. The Presidential Advisory Committee on Student Media interviewed candidates and sent its nominees to University President Fr. Bill Beauchamp for final approval. Junior Katie Husk, a civil engineering major, will be the KDUP general manager. Junior Kelsey Thomas, an English major, will be the editor in chief of The Beacon. Sophomore Brooke Williams, a communication major, will be the editor in chief of The Log.

Katie Husk: KDUP General Manager

Katie Husk started off as a DJ for her radio show "Better than Static" the second semester of her freshman year. She rose through the ranks and applied for the general manager position because she had a vision for the radio station.

"I just really want to see the station take off, and I thought I could be the person to do that," Husk said.

Husk said a major focus for next year will be connecting UP to the outside community.

"Portland has a really amazing music scene, but we don't see it very much at UP," Husk said. "KDUP is supposed to be that connection."

Husk said her greatest hope for next year is that the station's presence on campus increases.

"Most people don't know that the station even exists," Husk said. "I think we can keep getting more publicity and getting more people to come to our events."

Though KDUP is not as visible on campus as she wants, Husk said the station has a lot of strengths.

"I think we have a really cool group of people working here," Husk said. "I think we also have a lot of excitement behind us."

Kelsey Thomas: Editor in Chief of the Beacon

After transferring to UP last fall from Baylor University in Texas, Kelsey Thomas knew she wanted to get involved in the campus newspaper.

"Working for a college paper is something I always wanted to do," Thomas said. "So I definitely planned on applying from the moment I came."

As a first-time reporter, Thomas said she hadn't considered applying for the position of editor in chief until The Beacon advisor, Nancy Copic, suggested she apply.

"Once she suggested it, I was really excited about the idea," Thomas said. "I took off with it."

Thomas said her focus is to reach out to students and make the paper more accessible, especially online.

"I want to be doing more to reach students at where they're at," Thomas said. "That means increasing our online presence and encouraging reporters to use social media more."

Thomas is ready for the good and the bad of her new position and looks forward to next year.

"I think there are things that won't be as fun, like angry phone calls or difficult decisions but I think it's all part of the job," Thomas said. "And I'm excited for everything."

Brooke Williams: Editor in Chief of the Log

Brooke Williams began working at The Log the first semester of her freshman year.

"I did yearbook in high school," Williams said. "And it was an on-campus job, which [I thought] would help integrate myself into UP."

Williams plans to increase the visual appeal of The Log next year.

"We're going to try and shift focus from copy and large stories to alternative copy and focus on photo and other visual elements," Williams said. "I think people would rather look at picture than read a whole bunch."

Williams said The Log is an important and fun way of remembering all the events in a year.

"I like it because it's a culmination of the entire year," Williams said. "You kind of forget some things, so when you're looking back it's nice to be able to relive the year through pictures and copy."