Welcome to Volume 51
Your all-in-one student guide!
Hello, UTM! We would like to welcome you to our next chapter here at The Medium. As we begin our fifth decade serving our community as UTM’s independent student newspaper, we want to take a step back and appreciate what our place here at the university has been and continues to strive to be.
For 50 years now, our little student newspaper has been a platform for students to discuss what matters to them. Our archives are full of the stories, debates, and creations of our predecessors. Every writer and contributor has etched their mark into the very fabric of our organization. Our community has changed significantly from 1968, when our forefather paper, The Erindalian, was established. In that time, we have experienced great tragedy and great change. Our paper has recorded it all. Yet, most importantly, it has recorded what we, as average students, have felt and thought about our tumultuous world.
It’s easy to feel like The Medium is just a small student paper that doesn’t really matter all that much. It is true that this is a small paper and, honestly, that may be a blessing in disguise. But this organization does matter. We are not beholden to the University or the Student Union. That gives our community the unique ability to voice their thoughts freely and to speak on the issues that matter most to them.
Our 50th volume taught us many important lessons. When the genocide in Gaza began, our organization was hesitant to report on it. The topic of Palestine has long been censored and fear-mongered, and our team feared backlash and blacklisting. But our community, resolute in their convictions, demanded our paper fulfill its mandate to provide relevant coverage to UTM’s students and prompted The Medium to take accountability. And so we learned that to be stewards of people’s stories, it is important to have courage and conviction. The outpouring of backlash also reminded us that our readers are out there and they care. They care about the truth. They care about robust journalism. They care about The Medium being an accessible platform for their voice.
Student journalism may seem like a dying entity. It is true, that organizations like ours face many challenges today, from printing costs to outreach roadblocks. Yet, our independence and our commitment to uplifting our community’s voice are services which are crucially important for the health of our student body. We are a platform for students to express themselves and spotlight issues that need to be heard.
For our 51st year, we are committed to sharing the stories that need to be shared. The Medium will continue to strive to be a place for all students who wish for their thoughts, feelings, and experiences to be valued.
So, what’s next for The Medium? This year, one of our biggest goals is to reconnect with our student community. If you look at our old newspaper archives, you’ll see that student ads were common in the paper. You might’ve noticed we stopped doing ads for the last couple of volumes, but the good news is we’re bringing them back! We are pleased to announce we will be running free ads for all student groups! Whether you’re hosting an event, looking to hire more executives, or just want students to know more about your organization or club, all student clubs are welcome to submit ads. If you’re a business with a product or service that would be useful or interesting for students, please contact us to discuss advertising costs and help us keep journalism alive!
With 22 more issues ahead of us, and a magazine coming out at the end of the spring term, we have a lot of articles waiting to be written. The Medium thrives on diverse voices, and so we invite you to write for us. You don’t need to be a writing specialist. Our amazing section editors can help you flesh out ideas and support you on your writing journey. The thing about writing is that practice makes progress. And if writing really isn’t your cup of tea (we still encourage you to try it, you might like it!) then consider taking pictures or submitting illustrations for our Photos and Design Editors. There are so many ways to get involved.
At The Medium, every student who writes six or more articles becomes a Staff Writer, and here are five reasons why we encourage you to take this opportunity:
- Further develop your writing skills
- You’ll get your bio and picture on our website. It’s never too early to start building your portfolio!
- Did we mention this looks great on resumes?
- Network with our Editors and hang out with us at our socials
- Become part of The Medium’s legacy
We want The Medium to be a paper of community news, events, entertainment and connection. We want to share stories that inspire, educate, and inform our readers. And we are excited to begin Vol. 51 with you.
We’re happy to be,
Your Editors at The Medium
Editor-in-Chief (Volume 51); Arts & Entertainment Editor (Volume 50) — Hannah recently completed her HBA in Communications, Culture, Information & Technology and Professional Writing & Communications with High Distinction. Hannah served as the Arts & Entertainment Editor for Vol. 50 and her previous publications include PWC’s official journal of creative non-fiction in Mindwaves Vol. 15 and research in Compass Vol. 9 and 10. She also served as an Associate Editor for Compass Vol. 9 and Vol. 10. In her spare time, Hannah runs her sticker shop The Aesthetics Studio and does freelance writing. You can connect with Hannah on LinkedIn.