Photo Credit: Quinnipiac University
Writing, directing, broadcasting, designing. These are some of the skills students at Quinnipiac University’s School of Communications hone in the classroom before they become the future of the communications industry.
While a traditional academic environment is important, students at Quinnipiac use campus media organizations to practice what they learn. Who are the students at Quinnipiac heavily involved in student media, and what are their career aspirations?
Quinnipiac University’s School of Communications has a wide range of academic focuses for students interested in pursuing a career in the communications industry. There are a total of 19 programs offered, which includes Master’s and accelerated-degree programs
The four primary student media organizations at Quinnipiac University are Q30 Television, The Quinnipiac Chronicle (newspaper), WQAQ 98.1 FM (radio station) and Quinnipiac Bobcats Sports Network.
To understand the makeup of the students on the executive boards of these four media organizations, a google form was sent to each organization for its members to complete. In total, there are 27 students among these organizations and six of them have leadership roles in more than one organization and so are counted multiple times.
One student, John Surratt, is an executive member of two media organizations (the production of WQAQ and the Vice President of QBSN) and has a third non-Executive board position as a men's basketball beat reporter for Q30. Surratt participates in multiple organizations because he either wants to be a sports reporter or producer.
"I fell in love with the editing and producing process as a producer for Q30 and still do for my internship and I feel I'd gain more opportunities that way," Surratt said. However, being a reporter was my dream at the start coming to QU and I still do it and love that as well."
WQAQ's executive board has the most people involved in at least two clubs (five) and The Chronicle executive board has the least number of people in more than one organization's executive board with one. Students are also counted twice if they marked down more than one interest as a career.
The graduation years indicated are only undergraduate completion because there are 15 students who are also in accelerated-degree programs. For example, most of the students in these programs can earn a bachelor’s degree in three years, and in their fourth year, they earn their master's degree and are no longer able to hold a high-ranking position in student media.
The most popular kind of career found among student media members is writing within journalism at 11. The next most popular was broadcast with seven. Two of the 27 students do not aspire for careers in communications, which shows that not everyone involved desires a career in communications.
Kaylyn Terry, the online editor of QBSN as well as a fourth-year in the 3+3 Accelerated Law Program, wants to become an attorney and eventually a judge. She also was heavily involved in high school.
"Yes, I took all of our video production and photography classes that we had in high school as well as a part of the school news and other media clubs," Terry said. "I’ve also always been interested in sports and played many of them."
The other student who is not pursuing a career in communications is Ashley Pelletier, the Arts & Life Editor of The Chronicle and a third-year in the 3+1 journalism program. She wants to work as a novelist.
“I love writing journalism, but my passion is fiction writing more than anything,” Pelletier said. “I’ve always loved telling stories but don’t always love the high-stress environment of journalism, so fiction writing is a happy middle ground for me.”
When it comes to majors, 20 students are enrolled in journalism, followed by media studies with three, film and graphic and interactive design with two. There is one English and history major. There are 15 students in accelerated degree programs and out of all the students in student media, 14 were involved in a high school club related to the club they are a member of now.
Sports was overwhelmingly the favorite type of news wanted to be covered with more than half of students.
"I'd love to replicate the work done at The Athletic or ESPN, telling stories large or small in the sports world," said Michael Sicoli, editor-in-chief of The Chronicle.
Hard news and entertainment were tied for second with four students each. Melina Khan, one of the news editors for The Chronicle and a second-year 3+1 journalism major, wants to have a writing career in hard news, but also foresees herself doing things outside of reporting.
"I would love to work for a news organization that aims to amplify the voices of underrepresented communities," Khan said. Ultimately, after several years in journalism I hope to shift my career to a more traditional corporate career in the communications industry."
When asked if they would have joined the media organization they are involved in now if their career interests did not align with it, 15 said maybe, 8 said no and 4 said yes.
The students at Quinnipiac who are heavily involved in student media do share a number of similarities. However, there are differences among them and some who don't plan on working in the communications field at all. The majority of students are journalism majors as well as want to a pursue a career in communications industry.
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