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Dear Dr. Ransdell and the Board of Regents,
Nothing could have prepared me for the year I had as a
freshman on the staff of the Talisman. I was nervous to apply, arrived 25
minutes early to the first meeting and spent it awkwardly with editorial board
members I didn’t know, and stumbled through my first assignments, making
mistakes as I went.
A year later, the following hold true: I have two stories
that I have shot being published in the 2013 Talisman. A photo I took on
assignment for the Talisman won first place at the Kentucky News Photographers
Association 2013 Best of Photojournalism Student Division, in the category of
General News. And next year, I will be serving as Managing Editor of the 2014
Talisman – as a sophomore.
These opportunities are found nowhere else but the corner
suite of the Adams-Whitaker Student Publications Building. No other university
can boast that their yearbook gives students such an opportunity to hone and
develop their skills in a practical manner. No other university can boast of
multiple Pacemakers and Gold Crowns – a tradition of excellence held by the
Talisman. No other university holds such a tight-knit group of student
journalists with such passion for telling the story of their campus.
These reasons are the reasons that the proposed 47% budget
cut to the Talisman breaks my heart. Our yearbook cannot withstand such a
dramatic cut to our budget. We produce a high-quality product that wins awards,
yes, but that’s not what is important to us. Our goal at the Talisman is to
provide a place for student journalists to write stories, take photographs,
design pages, and practice advertising and marketing – all for a top-notch
collegiate publication. We strive to build the skills of our staff to prepare
them for the “real world.” We pride ourselves in creating a work environment
that mirrors professional publications – and I daresay that our publication is
just as professional as any.
As I write this letter, I am back home in my tiny town of
Fulton, Kentucky. I have finished my finals, and all that is left is the
customary posting of the grades. Tomorrow, I begin work on planning the 2014
Talisman. It will be just like every Talisman before it. We will tell the
stories of our campus in a beautiful way. We will take photos and write stories
and document the incredible place that is Western Kentucky University. A year
ago, I never dreamed I would be in this position.
Help us to continue to surprise future student journalists
with a place to call home. Help us to continue to provide an environment for
young journalists like myself to gain experience. Help us to continue the tradition
of the Talisman.
Please reconsider the massive budget cuts to the Talisman. Don’t
do it for me: do it for the new students next year, and the next, and the years
following. Our legacy is large – please help us to continue it.
Thank you,
Brandon Carter
Managing Editor, 2014 Talisman
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