In the past 14 issues I’ve discussed a host of topics: from embracing change and achieving goals to the state of the student government and death on campus. I’ve been to the well several times, occasionally overlapping or following up with a topic discussed before. Although I’m earnestly interested in what I write in this column, I don’t know if I have much to say for the rest of this semester, so I think I’ll end as I began: with the future of The Stute.
Since the new executive board members (myself included) effectively assumed their positions last March, The Stute—both the organization and the publication—was in a recovering state, internally incomplete and still wearing the “no one reads The Stute” badge of dishonor. This has nothing to do with the last executive board, or even the two before them. The gradual decline of The Stute in all of its manifestations has been ongoing for well over five years.
So, when I say that I think this iteration of The Stute is the best it’s been on all fronts in at least the four years I’ve been here and more, I am not looking for a Student Leader or Outstanding RSO Award (trust me). I’m just proud of what all of our members have been able to accomplish together this year, humbled to be at a stable state as an RSO and publication, and excited for what we have planned next year.
Two easily visible changes readers will have noticed with The Stute this semester is that we look different and read differently. With a new print layout and website, including PDF email delivery every Friday, The Stute resembles its print predecessors in virtually name alone. The next step, although certainly not the most “sexy,” is the codification of our style and layout rules into one comprehensive guide for posterity. For non-members reading, what you should expect as a result of this is visual consistency. The front page often varies wonkily and the flow of content sometimes changes inexplicably. Starting next semester, uniformity is key.
Likewise for our content, an Associated Press-inspired all-encompassing writing manual will be drafted to not only make our writing standards and procedures public, akin to the style and layout guide, but to bring consistency to our content. While I firmly believe that the news in The Stute has dramatically increased quality—aside from occasional factual gaffes and grammatical hiccups—there is still a disconnect (again) directly related to consistency. With standards for writing and formatting, articles won’t read the same, because writers will retain their individual writing flourishes, but they will need to meet certain requirements to be considered fit to print, ensuring that our readers are given a certain standard of content, from event blurbs and campus news to investigative pieces and full-on features.
Some other things we’re looking to accomplish are hosting events, bettering distribution points and delivery timeliness, improving The Stute Readers Loyalty program, restructuring our website and advertising system, and improving our channels of finding news, among other things. When I wrote my first column as editor-in-chief (excluding our special freshman issue), it was titled “Here we go,” and put in writing all that I hope we as an organization could accomplish. For the most part we succeeded, but now is the final push.
The Stute is the official newspaper of Stevens Institute of Technology, whether we’re viewed as such administratively or not. This newspaper is for all and is not a niche “club” that slaps together a publication and calls its Stevens-official. We are here for Stevens, especially its students. If you’re hesitant about reaching out or even joining The Stute, don’t be. Come back after break and get in touch.
If you as a reader have any suggestions, comments, or concerns, please let us know at eboard@thestute.com, or email me personally at fguarini@stevens.edu if the matter is sensitive. I can’t stress enough how much we value feedback, and we simply don’t get enough of it. This is your newspaper—help make it the best it can be.
