Passing the Torch

Since the last publication of The Quill appeared on campus, I have thought to myself here and there “we really should have a student newspaper again.” But how to do that? It was a task that seemed daunting. Too many logistics, none of them within my wheelhouse.

When I first approached Professor Janet Zatta about teaching WRI 2300, all I said was “the end goal is a publishable product of some sort.” But then again, Professor Zatta is always the type of person you can trust to give a vague prompt and have them run with it. 

One of her greatest strengths is her ability to stop herself from saying “no we can’t do that” and instead saying “let’s figure out how to make this work.” She will tell you that it was all the students’ idea to resurrect the newspaper, and that they have done 100% of the hard work. But behind the work there is always an organizer, a cheerleader, a guide, a mentor.

Professor Zatta’s background in journalism and love for teaching makes her all of those things. Graduation from the Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse, and later work on The Progress Newspaper in Caldwell gave her the background to teach journalism classes at Centenary; her patience and love for her craft, her students, and her teaching are additional gifts to us all.

Professor Zatta’s desire for clear and balanced reporting, her understanding of the needs for online platforms for readership, and her unwavering commitment to student journalism all combine to move this project forward. As the director of the writing program at Centenary, I am thrilled to see the newly revived student newspaper. Without Professor Zatta’s vision and guidance, this publication never would have been possible.