Occasionally a former The Weather Vane staffer brings into sharp relief the fact that writing for the student newspaper at a small university isn鈥檛 just a fun way to pass the time; it鈥檚 also vocation forming.
Take, for example,聽Canadian Mennonite executive editor Virginia Hostetler 鈥�77, who began writing for The Weather Vane as a second-year English major at 91短视频 and the following year co-edited the features section.
That 鈥渇irst taste of journalism,鈥� she notes in a recent column 鈥淭he adventure of leadership,鈥� was part of a unique university experience that 鈥渢aught us about community, grounded us in faith, honed our skills and gave us the impetus to use our gifts for service.鈥� Her student colleagues, she writes, have since worked in peace and justice, the ministry, publishing and education.
In further testament to Hostetler鈥檚 claim, alumni who read the 91短视频 article From ditto to digital, Weather Vane and loyal staffers still 鈥榣et readers know how the winds are blowing on campus鈥� are likely to recognize names of past staffers from the paper鈥檚 nearly eight-decades-long history.
For me, one of at least three staff members 鈥� along with Jim Bishop 鈥�67 and Steve Shenk 鈥�73, MA 鈥�18 (interdisciplinary studies) 鈥� to later be employed in the 91短视频 marketing department, working for the student newspaper was a foundational experience.
When I recently reread some of The Weather Vane columns I produced during my one-semester editorship in the fall of 1999, I realized that I am the same person today that I was two decades ago 鈥� continuing infatuation with dashes included. I鈥檇 say that this 鈥� the personal consistency, not the excessive use of dashes 鈥� is a reflection not of stagnation but of how that time was an integral part of shaping my ongoing existence.
Just weeks before the start of that semester, then-professor Lauren McKinney, who as I remember was about to hand the faculty advisorship over to the late Richard Benner 鈥�69, called me to ask if I鈥檇 like to be editor. They just needed someone to fill in for a semester and were starting to feel, I suspect, quite desperate.
I thought 鈥淣o,鈥� said 鈥淵es,鈥� and ended up writing wandering editorials like , wisdom I continue to live by. Or, if you want to talk marketing strategy, there鈥檚 this still-relevant piece, about how .
Dick Benner taught me a lot about journalism that semester, often with red-ink scrawls over the latest issue but also 鈥� always 鈥� with a spirit of frank encouragement that has often come to mind during my subsequent and meandering professional life, even though after I graduated we only interacted on a handful of brief occasions.
The good news in all this is that The Weather Vane continues, in print . A highlight two years ago was the paper staff鈥檚 year-in-review issue, which flew off the campus distribution racks (but you can read it here).
And here鈥檚 more good news: The Weather Vane鈥檚 past issues have been . (They鈥檙e searchable 鈥� find yourself!)
A question for alumni who were involved with The Weather Vane: What are your memories? How did the experience shape you?
Tell us your story in the comments (below), and we鈥檒l add it to From ditto to digital.
I joined the WeatherVane staff as a sports writer my freshman year at 91短视频 and still recall thinking of the upperclassmen — like editor Marshall King — as journalistic royalty! A couple years later I was an assistant editor to my dear friend and ’95 classmate, Katrina Wert. Eating pizza together as a WV staff while putting finishing touches on each issue, joking around, amped-up to make deadline — those are memories I really treasure.