Griselda Chavez

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During high school, I enjoyed my time in our yearbook club; however, it wasn't something I was interested in pursuing at college. Throughout the summer I realized that I missed the rush of deadlines and seeing our work published. Therefore, I considered joining The Dartmouth because I liked the mission that the work we could create would be distributed to inform others and it was also a perfect opportunity for me to learn more about the Upper Valley and Dartmouth's culture!

In order to apply for The Dartmouth, the independent organization sent an email to all students with a link to the application form, and were then offered a short interview. Throughout the process, I was shocked to see the numerous positions within the organization. It is split up into two sections—Editorial and Business—so that the content that is being created by the organization does not get influenced by the funds the organization receives. Within Editorial, students focus on creating content via writing, photographs, videos and other creative outlets. Students involved in Business work towards managing all of the operations and are involved in technology, finance, business development and more!

Writing for The Dartmouth has been a great opportunity for me to write for non-academic purposes and stay informed about events in the Upper Valley and at Dartmouth. Despite the numerous sections within the organization, I decided to focus on reporting for "News." Each week, our editors host quick meetings where we can learn about what stories are being offered during the week and have the opportunity to sign up for the pieces we are interested in writing about. The structure of the newspaper is something I really appreciate because I never have to write an article I'm not interested in and there's always something really interesting to write about. 

The Dartmouth has been a key figure during my time at Dartmouth because it has allowed me to learn a lot about my new environment and grow a lot of skills from time management to communication. It always feels incredible to see my article published on the website. During a regular year, the newspaper gets published; however, we were unable to print during the fall term but I am extremely excited to see it in the future!

Before joining, I imagined there wasn't a lot of time for collaboration; however, I have been pleasantly surprised to find that there is a welcoming environment despite it being virtual. For instance, the first article I wrote was with Sydney Wuu (who's also a blogger!) about fall foliage and leaf-peeping. It was incredibly fun to brainstorm together and walk around town to get interviews from local businesses.  

Sydney and I had lunch together to celebrate our first published article!

One of my favorite events to write about was on Election Day. I went to the local polls early in the morning with a fellow reporter and we worked together on talking to several people who were voting in person. We had been reporting for almost the entire day on a snowy day and it was tiring but also really fun! It offered me the opportunity to learn more about live reporting while working with another student and document how the voting process was going for those who were not in the area. 

This was our morning walk prior to stopping at Starbucks for an energy boost to start our live reporting at the polls.

My experiences have so far been very fulfilling and I cannot wait to continue growing my skills and collaborating with others!