Dear Commodores,
My name is Rachel Friedman, and I am the Editor in Chief of The Hustler this academic year. Being the editor of a school newspaper has been an aspiration of mine since I was 16. My chances of accomplishing this goal weren’t looking good when I was not selected to be the head of my high school newspaper. I’m not holding a grudge or anything, but I will say that after a half decade of thinking it over, I feel very ready to begin leading one of Vanderbilt’s most important student organizations.
My mission for The Vanderbilt Hustler this year is simple: I want The Hustler to grow. And by grow, I mean a few different things.
- I want the organization to grow from a staff perspective. Not only do I envision more people, but I envision different people. Students with different backgrounds, identities and ideas, who come from a diverse variety of clubs, places and spaces. Only when more thoughts and perspectives are represented on staff can I expect our readership to grow as a result.
- This leads me to my next definition of growth: growth in readership. In part, this will be through diversifying and growing our staff, but it will also be through strengthening our breadth in coverage and expanding outreach. The Hustler should connect with every organization on this campus in order to serve its main role—giving YOU a voice. Please, if someone on staff doesn’t reach out to you, reach out to us. We want to hear from you and write about what you see on our campus.
- Finally, I want to grow in presence. This means that I want the Hustler to be more immediately thought of when people are looking for an outlet to share their voice or to learn about the voices around them. I hope to be where you turn when you hear about something on campus or in our Nashville community and want to know more. The Hustler is constantly on my mind, and I want it to be on yours, too.
I’m confident that we will be able to make strides on all of these goals, and I can’t wait to see the amazing accomplishments of The Hustler staff this year. Never hesitate to reach out to me with anything: if you have thoughts on our content, interest in joining or you just want to talk about The Hustler or our campus. Have a great year, and Anchor Down!
Best,
Rachel Friedman
