UAFS student media ready to launch Web publication

story submitted by the University of Arkansas at Fort Smith

December will mark the arrival of a new student publication at the University of Arkansas at Fort Smith when The Lions’ Chronicle makes its debut on the Web.

The first edition, slated for posting in early December, is the result of the efforts of nine students. Managing Editor is Jean Powell-Vosper of Van Buren. Other student participants include Becky Counts, Ashley Eubanks, Roy Fisher, Luke Hobbs and Danny Thomas, all of Fort Smith; Chadd Sheffield of Muldrow; Stephanie "Rain" Raney of Roland; and Michael Pless of Van Buren. Faculty adviser is Dr. Monica Luebke of Mountainburg.

Categories of the publication include news, opinion and editorial, campus community and sports.

UAFS ceased publication of a print student newspaper in 2003, the same year the last student yearbook was published. Powell-Vosper, who plans to graduate in December 2010, is excited about being in on the revival of a student newspaper for UA Fort Smith.

"While UA Fort Smith previously published a successful student newspaper, The Lions’ Chronicle represents the University’s first venture into electronic student journalism,” Powell-Vosper said. "Staff members are excited about the Chronicle’s digital format, and we look forward to receiving student input as we continue to explore and develop this new venue for student voices."

Luebke said she can sum up her efforts as adviser in two words — student voices.

"With no journalism program to speak of, I was starting from scratch and working outside my field," Luebke explained. "I had to ask myself, particularly in the beginning, why I was doing this. What will make this publication different from all other information sources on campus? What will make students want to read our publication? The answer to all my questions was the same — voices, student voices."

Luebke said one of her main goals as a writing specialist is to help her students identify their own reasons to write. She sees a student newspaper as both a source of and a forum for compelling reasons to write. She said that although she accepted the role as adviser, her role is simply to advise, again letting student voices be heard.

She said the staff envisions the newspaper as a place to report on student concerns and perspectives, a place where students can get information they want and need and a place where student views can be represented.

"How is our publication different from all the other information sources on campus?" she said. "And what makes students want to read it? Student voices."

Luebke said The Lions’ Chronicle will publish two or three issues during the spring semester. The Web location will be announced once the publication is live.

Dr. Joe Hardin of Fort Smith, dean of the College of Languages and Communication, said The Lions’ Chronicle is one of several goals during phase one of a plan to build a student media program at UAFS.

"We, in the college of Languages and Communication, believe that the economic future of this region lies, at least in part, in setting the bar for the new communication professional," said Hardin, who added that communication skills will always be important, even with the fact that the communications field has recently been volatile and unpredictable. "We are confident that if we equip our students with these skills and teach them to communicate well in whatever type of media they might encounter, then they will be successful and employable no matter what the future holds for the field."

Hardin outlined other phase one objectives for UAFS — beginning a speech minor, searching for communications faculty, reaching out to the community, holding media events and producing on-campus communications materials. All phase one goals are listed under the current academic year.

Actions coming in the second phase would include the revival of a communication internship program and an expansion of the student media, possibly with streaming radio. He also wants communications students to provide content to local media in some way and plans to reach out to high school journalism programs. A digital journalism degree is also on the horizon.

The third-phase goals include establishing a state-of-the-art media laboratory and further expansion of student media.

(The City Wire first published the new student media effort in this Oct. 28 story.)