By Berea Torch Staff
For more than a month now, The Berea Torch has delivered news, interviews, satirical and serious editorials and much more to Berea College. We have brought issues to light, have helped brighten up the days of many readers, and given a platform for students to speak their minds. This is only the beginning and with the moves against us from Student Life, we are only going to push back harder for the expression of free speech. Now, here are some words from some our staff members, their time at The Berea Torch, and plans for the future.
Ülvi Gitaliyev:
“When I started The Berea Torch, I knew just how difficult starting an independent newspaper would be, but I was still surprised at some of the roadblocks we faced. Nevertheless, we pressed on and continued to bring light unto darkness to the best of our ability. My favourite article was “Environment Criminals in Little Blue Vests and Clunky Carts ~ A Message to Public Safety” by Anonymous, later to be revealed to be by Lily Barnette. The wonderful mix of witty humour and sharp commentary made the article hilarious to its readers and devastating to its subjects. In the future, I hope to turn The Berea Torch into not just a college, but a city-wide publication that all Bereans can enjoy and contribute to.”
Lily Barnette:
“Working at The Berea Torch has been very exciting for me! I have always been interested in learning about people as individuals. Having a paper centered around the thoughts and opinions of other people and having to reach out to more for interviews and whatnot has just been amazing to me. It has pushed me outside my comfort zone and made me more productive, which I see as something that has caused growth in my character. My favorite thing I ever wrote was about the Public Safety carts; I was just laughing to myself the whole time. But in terms of favorite pieces on our site as a whole, the interviews with Ali Hassan and Michael Harrington are very special to me. Those two are very passionate people, and the interviews do not do them justice; to hear them speak, in person, about their beginnings, motives, and goals is just really amazing. I am looking forward to meeting more talented people from this campus and from the town! :)”
Suneil Avirneni:
“If I were to describe my time at The Berea Torch, it would be combative. I don’t mean this in a bad way. What got me into The Berea Torch in the first place was the fact that I got into an hour-long political argument/discussion with Ülvi. After I saw that he was making an independent student publication, I knew that the first thing I wanted to do was work with him to challenge the status quo at this college. An amazing example of this was the article demanding change in the poor conditions for workers in dining. I am grateful that The Berea Torch has allowed me to fight for myself, my values, and others, and I will continue to be combative because I know that the mission that The Berea Torch has is worth fighting for.”
As Spring Break begins, we will be taking a break until March the 12th.
P.S. For those who have been tearing down our posters and stickers, we would like to extend a special thank you. You have motivated us to work harder than ever before to bring journalism to Berea College. For every poster you destroy, we shall print out two more!