Staff members from different sections of The Miami Student wrote columns about what the publication means to them.
The first day of my first year at Miami University was weeks away, and yet I was already on the phone with the editor-in-chief of The Miami Student.
I researched student organizations to join before I even knew what my class schedule looked like, but the first one I looked for was the student newspaper.
I started as a Campus and Community section writer because I loved sharing those hidden, tug-at-your-heartstrings stories about people. While I still value those articles as a journalist, something didn’t feel right.
I quickly found my niche the following spring after joining the Opinion section. I was a regular at meetings, always equipped with several ideas. I craved the feeling I got when writing, my fingers flying across the keyboard, racing to keep up with the thoughts in my head forming at a million miles an hour.
I’d have a warm feeling in my chest after submitting a column, like I was finally creating something I was proud of.
That same semester, I discovered another one of my passions after joining The Miami Student Magazine. I channeled my emotions about my first year on campus into a 2,000-word piece, processing my feelings as I retold them.
As if I wasn’t branching out enough, I was offered the opportunity to produce a podcast with a fellow staff member. I utilized the extremely new skills I learned from my Foundations of Production course and edited entire episodes by myself.
Now, I write to you as the Opinion section editor, co-editor of the magazine and co-host of the podcast, “Bizarre Butler County.”
To say that I’m shocked about my growth would be an understatement. I could fill pages with every detail of my time with The Student, expressing my thanks to everyone along my journey, but maybe that's best saved for my inevitable senior column next year.
Now more than ever, it is extremely crucial that student journalists receive proper training and experience before entering the industry. They must understand the role they play and the weight their words hold, or at least should hold.
Analysing polls by Gallup dating back to the 1970s, the public’s trust of the media has rapidly declined. When initial polls began, between 68% and 72% of United States citizens expressed confidence in the news’ reporting. By 1997, the percentage dropped to 53%.
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Now, according to a September 2025 poll, only 28% expressed a “great deal” or “fair amount” of trust in newspapers, television and radio to report the news fully, accurately and fairly.
This number has continued to fall, and it hasn’t reached the majority level since before 2004. In the past decade, the highest percentage was 45% in 2018.
While a journalism education is valuable, there's only so much that classes can teach you. It’s one thing to learn writing techniques; it's another to put them to use. It's one thing to memorize AP style for a quiz; it's another to notice the errors when editing.
That's where The Student comes in.
This newspaper has helped me find my footing in the industry. I’ve learned how to operate on a deadline and navigate new styles of writing, all while upholding the reputation The Student has built.
Student journalists are preparing to enter a tense career, especially with threats of censorship and a lack of trust suffocating current writers. So, it’s up to us to be the change we desperately need, even if our influence only ever changes one person’s mind.
I’m a student journalist because I want to be part of the change. I’m a part of The Student because we are the change.
I can confidently say that The Student has given me the tools I need to mend the relationship between society and journalists. The professional opportunities I’ve had because of this incredible publication are invaluable to me.
But, more than any of that, it's given me a home.
My first semester was extremely challenging. But it was my friends at The Student who made me feel less alone.
Their efforts and dedication to the newspaper inspire me to be better every day. We all understand the struggles of working for this publication, but also the importance of what we do.
Moreover, they see me for who I am. They know my favorite things, what makes me laugh and all the ways to push my buttons — but they also know how to make me feel loved.
Who knew that a few opinion columns would lead me to become the Opinion editor? Who knew that a magazine piece about my terrible first year would eventually get me to the position of co-editor? Who knew that saying “yes” to a podcast would eventually make me a co-host of one of the best projects I’ve ever done?
More importantly, who knew that a college newspaper just up the road from home would give me the most amazing family?
Taylor Powers is a junior double majoring in journalism and media and communication. She is the Opinion Editor for The Student and co-editor of The Miami Student Magazine. She’s also vice president of Miami Dance Corps.
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