Letter to the Editor

It seems like every decade or so, someone or something tries to silence The Penn, the only independent student voice at IUP.

Thankfully, Dennis Hulings and Chuck Potthast stepped up to save it but changes still need to be made to keep it viable in today's society.

The journalism department thought at one point they should be in charge; the students thought otherwise. A compromise was made to hire a student adviser. At one point, some thought the newspaper was losing its integrity, so an editorial adviser was hired to guide the staff and help them become better journalists.

Now, in the age of digital, The Pennneeds to make moves to have a bigger online presence, which would bring more appeal to the overall product.

According to an Indiana Gazette article, some say there isn't enough student-generated content in the paper. This falls on the shoulders of the editors who work there. They need to get out to the classes and talk to the students. Make them excited about writing for the newspaper. Set up a blog section on the website where students can share their content. This will raise more awareness about The Pennoverall.

People get news 24 hours a day and The Penn needs to evolve into something that is the voice of the students and that covers issues impacting the campus.

Maybe it's time the Co-op looked to hire a new director of student publications; someone truly cares. Maybe new blood and new ideas can revive the newspaper. Get a new adviser who is tech savvy and can bring The Pennand its website up to par and help them grow.

Whether it's downsizing the size of the print edition, adding more online advertising or going to a weekly, there are ways to save a dying paper.  

The Pennis the watchdog for the university and the only outlet for students to be able to say what is truly on their minds. I implore the Co-op to save it and to help it flourish.

Jenn Lucas

Former Penn editor-in-chief, Class of '02