Step out of your comfort zone

FMU’s student newspaper, “The Patriot,” is home to many different students with different majors from different walks of life. I love working for the student newspaper, but it seems like most of the time when I mention that I work for “The Patriot” someone will say, “Oh, I thought you were a biology major.” I definitely understand why the confusion is so prevalent and it does have its justifications. However, I believe the stereotype for a student newspaper should be a little different.

Even though I am a biology major, writing is a refreshing change of pace and an outlet for me. News writing and reporting might not come as naturally to me as it does for others, but I believe it is important for different majors to branch out. I believe that voices from all corners of campus should have a chance to be heard. I am honored to be a part of the news writing team here at FMU. I take the job seriously for many reasons. I believe that no matter your walk of life, everyone can connect through a good story. Many of us have the fun aunt or the wild grandmother who would draw us in with the most interesting stories. In the same way, the newspaper is like a home away from home where I can connect with my friends, view the different lenses through which they tell a story and see how each of us interprets it. “The Patriot” is so much more to me than just an amazing way to connect with friends, it is also a place where the students get to decide what is important and what needs to be heard. I appreciate the platform “The Patriot” gives to students because it puts the power to decide what is important enough to be spoken about in print into the hands of students.

For that reason, I feel that it is important for students from all kinds of majors to consider becoming a part of the family. There are so many events that students may not otherwise hear about because it is out of their friend group or not relevant to their major. Fun things like the “Pause for Paws” event hosted by the Pre-Vet club that brings puppies to campus and hosts symposiums for visiting professors to talk about how we can save the planet. Students from different majors can come together to tell the FMU family all of the things they know.

“The Patriot” isn’t exclusively for mass communication or English majors; just like hiking or going to the park is not only for biology majors. As general education classes are required to make a student well rounded, I think having a very diverse group of staff writers is beneficial to everyone. A diverse group of writers means that students in fine arts will know about the fun things that are happening in the field of English.

Don’t get me wrong, writing isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. However, if you enjoy writing even though you’re a chemistry major, don’t be afraid to step out of your comfort zone and give it a try. No one thinks that their writing skills are the best.“The Patriot” connects us all together one way or another. Don’t you want to be a part of deciding how those connections are made?