After a multi-year absence, Southwestern College’s student-run newspaper, The Collegian, is relaunching this semester.
Under the guidance of communications professor Eugene Agyei, and led by a team of students, the longstanding paper on campus is returning to continue its legacy in a digital-first era.
For much of its history, The Collegian served as a training ground for aspiring journalists and a platform for campus dialogue. The paper was very successful in its time and won numerous awards including taking first place in both editorial writing and feature writing at the 2020 Kansas Collegiate Media contest. Former faculty member, Stacy Parks, ran The Collegian for many years. After Parks’ retirement, a new faculty member’s vision for the newspaper was never fully realized.
Michelle Boucher, associate professor of English, said reviving The Collegian was a priority when the college hired Agyei.
“When we were hiring Eugene, one of my personal hopes was that we would get somebody that would be really interested in bringing it back, and he did, so I’m excited because he did bring it back. He has the vision that we wanted after Stacy left. We were looking for someone who wanted to move to a more multimedia format to give students more experience,” Boucher stated.
For Boucher, The Collegian is the student’s voice and noted the importance of a student-run newspaper as an independent student voice on campus.
“I also think it’s important for the students to have the experience of putting all these things together. You can teach news writing, media writing, and film, but if people aren’t doing it for an audience and they don’t have to constantly think about that, then they aren’t really learning all the things they need to learn,” Boucher added.
Agyei arrived at Southwestern at the start of the fall semester as an assistant professor of communications. Since then, reviving The Collegian has been one of his central goals.
“The Collegian has long been an important part of the Creative Technologies and Communications division,” Agyei said. “I’m excited that reviving it allows us to give students hands-on media training. It’s going to help students connect classroom theories to real-world practice. I want that kind of experience for my students.”
A diverse group of Southwestern students – Lyrix Howard, Zamir Hall, Jeffrey Stover, Eamon Shaw, Caleb McNeill Tyler, Aden Armstrong, Kimberly Chikukwa, Wyatt Tappen and Breanna Goad – have joined the editorial team in various roles.
Howard noted that joining The Collegian was a great opportunity for himself.
“It’s a great opportunity to put my skills to the test and produce something the community can look at and be proud of,” Howard stated.
The Collegian plans for the official launch of its website and social media platforms on Jan. 19, a return that is eagerly awaited by alumni, staff and students at Southwestern.
Looking ahead, Agyei hopes the return of The Collegian can once again become a vital part of campus and community life in Winfield while offering real journalism experience to students.
“My goal is for the newspaper to become a staple in the Winfield community and surrounding areas, while also preparing students for the job market. Looking ahead, I hope to see my students telling some of the most impactful and meaningful stories in our community,” Agyei added.