To The Whit and Student Government Association,
Because I am not an SGA senator (and especially not part of the bunch who laughed at the news of The Whit receiving a budget cut), I can only express the words I wanted to say in the way I know would be heard: Through The Whit.
I am a former features editor for The Whit as well as a staff writer, but for the sake of this conversation, I may refer to the newspaper as “we.”
When I was an editor, I worked a total of 240 hours. That was just during Wednesdays during the semester at The Whit, and that doesn’t factor in days of work outside of our Whit meetings such as delivering papers which often involved parking far away from the buildings I needed to go to.
As a features editor, I made $400 total in two semesters, the flat rate I was told I’d be given. $400 dollars divided by the 240 hours is roughly $1.66/hour. That’s it. From generating ideas to delivering the last paper, that $1.66/hour only meant something on Wednesday night 8-hour shifts during my time as Features Editor. Who in this current economic climate is working for $1/hour? And this was during a time when The Whit’s budget was higher than the proposed now.
During the SGA meeting that rushed The Whit from being able to express real concern, SGA talked about ways The Whit could find more funding. I’ve laid out a few ways:
- Sell a few of the SGA golf carts. Did you know the SGA is able to ride around to their different activities and duties (I’m sure related to SGA) on golf carts while other students have to park often far away and make the hike to wherever they need to go? Selling a few of the fleet of golf carts could surely help allocate more funds.
- Have clubs pay an annual media fee. This will cover being able to be supported by The Whit for yearly event coverage. Students in media deserve the extra pay boost for oftentimes the one to three articles they’re writing a week.
- Give media students partial scholarships. This will allow them to be more willing to invest time and money in their craft when they know their college supports them.
Furthermore, let’s discuss what goes into producing The Whit each week. This isn’t a simple cut-and-paste job—it’s a rigorous process. From brainstorming sessions to interviewing, from late-night editing to early-morning distribution, our team dedicates a significant portion of their week to ensuring our campus stays informed and connected. We are journalists, designers, and technicians rolled into one cohesive unit.
And if that wasn’t enough, remember, we also shoulder the responsibility of generating ad revenue every single week to help cover our costs. This is no small feat—it requires a savvy understanding of the business market, a flair for negotiation, and an acute awareness of community dynamics.
Now, I ask you, with all these responsibilities, should budget cuts really be a part of our narrative? How can we claim to support student employment and development when we undercut and undervalue our own?
I am here to say, unequivocally, that I oppose any cuts to our budget. Reducing our funding would not just be a disservice to The Whit-— it would be a disservice to every student who picks up our paper to feel connected, informed, and a part of this community.
I don’t know the future of The Whit because the last SGA Meeting never gave us that closure, but I do know I’m going to do what I can to continue funding and supporting an award-winning newspaper.
Unapologetically,
Jennifer McGraw
For comments/questions about this story, email the.whit.rowan@gmail.com or tweet @TheWhitOnline
