The University of Olivet’s student-led newspaper, “The Echo,” has been providing the community of Olivet with news since 1888. The publication of The Echo transitioned to being completely online in the spring of 2020. The paper is currently run by Faculty Adviser Joanne Williams, Editor-in-Chief Bray Wright and Copy Editor Matthew Rice.
Bray said that she decided to join The Echo during the summer of last year. “I had always planned on taking The Echo practicum during my junior year, but Professor Williams urged me to apply for the editor position. The whole staff was already established by the time I got my position, which was incredibly helpful since I had never been a part of The Echo before. I am looking forward to seeing how our current team improves. We have a few new members this semester, and I am still waiting to see what they will bring to the team,” Bray added.
This semester, Matthew said he is looking forward to creating a co-multimedia production with WOCR 89.1, “The One,” which will be called “The Echo On-Air.” He also said that their team is currently looking into creating a printable PDF, so they can begin redistributing physical copies of the newspaper around campus again.
Media production and communication (MPC) major Michael Leija, who is currently a staff writer for The Echo, decided to join the team this spring because he wanted to be able to get more experience in the writing side of media, while also being able to hone his video editing skills. “My goal this semester is to create interesting stories that people will enjoy viewing when they search for The Echo online. I think The Echo is important because there a lot of things that happen in this town that people do not know about, so it is important that someone puts the stories on a platform to view,” Michael said.
Bray added that the city of Olivet currently does not have a local newspaper, so The Echo is the closest thing they have. “It’s our job to keep people updated on events they won’t find in bigger newspapers. Sometimes it’s a local election, or possibly events at Olivet High School. The Echo is the only local news source that they have,” Bray added.
Most students who are a part of The Echo’s team are MPC, English or writing majors, but it is not required for you to be able to join the staff. Any student who has a passion for writing or photography is welcome to join The Echo. Make sure to visit ocecho.com to learn more about The Echo and to read stories written by Olivet’s students.
To learn more about The University of Olivet, contact the Office of Admission at 800-456-7189 or admissions@uolivet.edu.
This piece was written by Julia Bidelman, a senior majoring in media production and communication. She serves as an intern in the marketing and communications department and is especially interested in social media. After graduation, Julia plans to continue her work as a content creator, photographer and social media manager, and she hopes to work in the field of social media for a small business or nonprofit organization.