Our student newspaper at Winthrop University

Here's a note I wrote today to the Dean of Students at Winthrop University; I copied it to Anna Douglas, editor of The Johnsonian (student newspaper at Winthrop) and Tiffany Barkley, managing editor. Posting it here because too often people are quick to criticize student journalism. We don't say enough about the positive side...

It's a great country we live in, folks, and reading The Johnsonian today reminds me of that.

We have the freedom to say and write just about anything (long as we make a good-faith effort to be truthful, responsible, fair and ethical).

We can call President Obama a jerk.

We can say that the Carolina Panthers are a disgrace to the Carolinas.

We can say that we didn't learn a danged thing from that course or instructor in the Department of .....

The lowliest student can have her say about the most powerful and richest (and sometimes most feared) people at our university.

It's all about First Amendment freedoms. As you know, people don't have that kind of freedom in North Korea, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Libya, the People's Republic of China, or Egypt.

In today's Johnsonian, we get a rich diversity, a veritable tapestry if you will, of ideas and information that help signify that students and others at Winthrop are thinking, acting, imagining, dreaming, projecting...

Examples:

--On page 1, we read an excellent piece (by Claire Byun) about WU HIV and AIDS and an engaging story (by Jonathan McFadden) about something called a "carrot bike rack." On that same page, the tireless David Thackham makes sure the women's basketball team gets their due.

--On page 2, in the police blotter, we have the makings of an intriguing novella about drugs and alcohol

--Monica Kreber's story about locals coming to our news campus center hits the mark. (Nice job on this piece, Monica.)

--On page 5, the never-to-be-muzzled Connor de Bruler rants about how American culture/society seems to be hypocrytical about certain drugs or abusive substances. On that same page, we have one of the most powerful testimonials--from the courageous Ms. Schallhorn--that I've ever read. And in the bottom right corner of that page, we have a potentially controversial photo illustration of a parking space (two spaces?).

--Amanda Phipps educates all of us about HIV/AIDS in her informative story on pg. 6.

--More strong human interest comes through on pg. 7 with Jessica Pickens' excellent piece about Haney Howell. (Pickens learned a lot this summer in Shelby, N.C., at her internship. You go, Jessica!)

--The Winthrop As a Movie feature on pg. 8 always draws 'em in!

--We get the lowdown on WU sports from Hannah Schwartz, Jeff Brodeur,, Devonne Good and David Thackham.

--Sarah MacDonald pounds the pavement and brings in the ad revenue. (We love the money, Sarah!)

--Devang Joshi does his thing with our online edition. (No one does it better than Devang.)

--Plodding along, faithfully, behind the scenes as copyeditors are Brittany Guilfoyle and Brantley McCants.

It's a wonderfully free, widely roaming, diverse, rambunctious thing that's created every week by about 10 or so committed students. Anna Douglas keeps the train on the tracks. The multi-skilled Tiffany Barkley is always around just in case, and she's there to help anyone and everyone.

They don't do it for the money. It's about passion and love and freedom.

We call what they do The Johnsonian.

It's our student newspaper.

It's free and rambunctious and diverse.

Always let it be so.

Sincerely,

Larry Timbs
Faculty Adviser
The Johnsonian