By Arielle Follett
Students and faculty in the general arts and science department can stay informed with a newsletter which comes out every semester.
The newsletter, called GASlines, is written by select students in the media and communications stream of the general arts and science departments.
This opportunity is meant to generate students’ interest in going into the journalism program.
Students are given assignments by professor Al Uhryniw and sent out to report. The assignments cover events or special achievements within the general arts and science department.
“It’s a way of telling the department what is happening internally,” Uhryniw said.
When the newsletter started three years ago, it was written solely by professors.
However, it was Uhryniw who brought students onto the team.
“It’s good for their co-curricular record and they build up a small portfolio,” he said.
Amanda Evoy, one of this year’s writers, is happy to be working on GASlines.
“It is a good opportunity,” she said. “It allow us to learn how to write in a way which communicates.”
Uhryniw also says it’s a way for students to get over any shyness they may have.
“They have to go out and talk to people who have a story to tell,” he said.
The staff is made up of three to four students in the media and communications stream who receive help from their professors. Uhryniw reads over every story line-by-line with the students.
Before teaching, he was a radio journalist himself.
“This is just a fantastic opportunity to say ‘Look what we’re doing,’” said Uhryniw. “We have stories about all the great things the department is doing within and outside the college community, and it’s written by the students. What better way to build up our self-confidence.”