I never wanted to be Superman, I wanted to be Clark Kent!

I never wanted to be Superman, I wanted to be Clark Kent!

When I was first hired with The Southwestern in September of my freshman year (2023), I began training to run our social media and website. During this training, a former staff member told me that if we made a mistake, “it doesn’t matter because nobody reads/sees our content anyway.” Two weeks later, this staff member was no longer working with The Southwestern, but their comment has stuck with me for years. I have no problem making mistakes. However, operating at a level lower than my full potential because of a limited audience was simply not how I was raised. Not only that, but if we consistently put out content that was crap, we would never develop an audience. 

It was at this moment that I realized I wanted to help steer The Southwestern to so much more. Throughout my three years, I believe we did just that. Looking through our social media and website, there is a noticeable improvement in the quality and quantity of content. Instagram and Facebook limit data to the last 90 days; however, longtime staff members can attest that our follower numbers have increased by about 1,000 on each platform. This year alone, our content generated nearly (and possibly more) than one million total impressions across all platforms. During the anhydrous ammonia leak last November, we had b-roll content picked up by NBC News, which was used during the top story on “NBC Nightly News” and “The Today Show.” 

I am incredibly proud of the work we have done over the last few years. However, more importantly than any follower or viewership metric is the culture we have cultivated within the staff. In the past, The Southwestern’s production studio (ART 205) was sparsely populated and used mainly just to edit content or film videos. While I was aiming to find ways to get more viewers, I quickly found out that the solution was less about what content we put out and more about the culture we developed within. While that may seem counterintuitive, let me explain. Before this culture was developed, the story creation process was very black and white. You pitch a story, you write the story, and the story gets posted. As a part of a larger culture, this evolved. We collaborate during meetings and communicate what is occurring around campus to develop these stories, we collaborate during these projects, and we collaborate during the editing process before the story is posted. This teamwork ensures that projects are relevant to the campus and are of higher quality. This process is part of what has improved our metrics significantly. The production studio grew from a simple independent workspace to so much more. Throughout the week, the studio is often filled with staff members. Some are working, and some are off the clock, just hanging out. This idea would have been laughed at several years ago, but the numbers don’t lie. This process worked, and will continue to work.

I continue to say “we” as opposed to “I” with a strict intention. This growth process was not solely my doing. Following the departure of several staff members throughout and after the fall of 2023, there was only one person on staff with more than one semester of experience: Johnathan Nguyen. The Southwestern’s growth is simply not possible without Johnathan. The most tech-savvy person I have ever met, Johnathan’s leadership, coupled with his ability to articulate a story through photo and video formats, was crucial for The Southwestern’s growth. Johnathan is excellent at providing feedback that is truly feedback. If it wasn’t to standard, he’d be sure to address it and coach through ways to improve. Johnathan is still looking for a job, and I couldn’t recommend him enough to anyone who could use his expertise. Following my first year, the team gained Lucas Punneo. Lucas is a great friend whom I have known and worked with for essentially six years. Following my departure as editor-in-chief of the YHS Insight, Lucas took the same role and excelled. Lucas and I shared leadership duties this semester, and the system was perfect. Mentioning just these two would in no way be enough. Professor Steven Doughty and I began at SWOSU in the same semester, and Doughty quickly became The Southwestern’s faculty advisor. Although he isn’t old, Doughty has done and seen just about everything. He brought this experience to the staff, and it has allowed for so much improvement. Beyond just pushing us to clean the production studio, Doughty has pushed the staff in so many ways. He has been excellent at reviewing and improving our content, then pushing us to find ways to improve the content in the future. His experience and personality have become the glue for The Southwestern. The culture I spoke of earlier is in large part due to Doughty. Meetings will get off topic and shift to the most random 90’s movie, or something even more random. Although it is off topic, it has been so great for the team. 

The leadership team of Johnathan, Lucas, and Doughty, as well as Dr. Dorr and Dr. Boyles, has brought The Southwestern to new heights. I can not begin to explain how thankful I am for these people, and others not mentioned. The Southwestern has been around for so many decades. Through these decades, there have been so many changes. As The Southwestern went away from printing following COVID-19, the immediate years that followed had moments, but it struggled to find a consistent identity. I believe that this leadership team has finally brought the publication into the digital age and has done it well. Following my departure, Lucas will take over as the sole editor of The Southwestern, just as he did in high school. I do not doubt that Lucas will continue leading The Southwestern expertly and will bring it to higher levels. 

The Southwestern has become the top source of news in Weatherford. A free, trustworthy source that runs no ads. A group of college students who do it better than anyone else in town. I love this reputation, and I know Lucas will continue to help the staff hold this reputation. 

What’s next for me?

Graduating after three years is bittersweet. I love it here and would have enjoyed one more year. However, thanks to SWOSU’s partnership with Yukon High School, I am a year ahead and am taking full advantage of this. A simple conversation with Dr. Dorr on January 30th has set me up for my next opportunity. As mentioned in my latest article, I am a parks and recreation major, and this is a large part of my personality. But so is writing. Dr. Dorr mentioned an opportunity at the University of Montana: A master’s degree in Environmental Science and Natural Resource Journalism. Everyone I have spoken to has mentioned this is “right up my alley.” Journalism and the outdoors, combined. So, I applied and got accepted. I’ll be heading up to Missoula this fall. Although scared of the unknown, I couldn’t be more excited. SWOSU Parks and Rec, as well as The Southwestern, have had a profound impact on my life, and I’ll now look to combine these two loves. 

Outside of my work, I have developed the best support system one could ask for at SWOSU. The friend group we have built will hold memories that will last a lifetime. A group full of (washed up) athletes, Lebron James lovers, the most die-hard football fans you’ll ever meet, and overall, just great people. Unlike some groups around here with deceiving people and pretenders, our group is real. We don’t sugarcoat anything; it is a genuine love and respect for one another. Through thick and thin, this group has been there for one another. If I could advise future students to do one thing, I would say to find your group. It makes the entire process of college so much more fun. Our group was fortunate enough to all be a part of a larger group, Bulldogs for Christ. This connection has allowed for some of the coolest opportunities I could’ve asked for, and has really furthered me in my faith. 

It wouldn’t be a proper send-off without a nod to our intramural sports teams, the Washed Up Athletes. Although we were good at basketball and great at softball, our trophies came from flag football. Throughout our three years, we have lost just two games and have won the championship each year. I can confidently say we were the best flag football team SWOSU Intramurals has ever had!

I have so much more to write. I always will. That is why I love this field and plan to continue to do it. In this age of AI, we need human-created work more than ever. We need creativity more than ever. I plan to continue to stay creative, just as I have with The Southwestern. But, to ensure that this isn’t the longest article we’ve ever put on the website, I’ll cut it off here. So, is this the last I’ll ever write for The Southwestern? Actually, no. I have several stories that I wrote at a previous time, as well as some new content planned that will be released over the course of the summer. I’ll also never rule out an occasional life update, as long as Doughty and/or Lucas approve it, of course. So for now, it’s just a “see ya later!”

Timeline with The Southwestern:

Similar to credits after the movie ends, I wanted to end with a timeline of my work with The Southwestern. Read it, or don’t. I figured I’d include it.

  • First “Research” Article: SWOSU Dorm Halls: How they got their names and how they have changed
    • One of my personal favorites. I really expanded my writing with this one. A lot of research was done, and I began to find ways to put myself and my experiences into my work. This isn’t a common method, but one I found to thoroughly enjoy in my time here. And it’s one that Doughty introduced to me.
  • Gonzo Journalism: SWOSU Fire Assists with Wildfire
    • A super cool story of Fire Club assisting with a wildfire, and one that I was grateful to be a part of. It takes elements of Gonzo Journalism. Thanks, Doughty!
  • Ruffling some feathers: Intramural Signups Fumbled
    • Student publications are the voice of the students. The wellness center BOTCHED intramural flag football signups. I quickly put this opinion piece together, and the student voices potentially saved our flag football season. Despite some further comments by those in charge, seen in a follow-up article here, some solutions were found. Sign-ups were extended, and the students’ teams who voiced their concerns in the original article were allowed to play. Fast forward to this semester, Tyler Walker now manages the wellness center. It has been an absolute pleasure to get to know Tyler, and I am super thankful I did. The wellness center now collaborates with The Southwestern to advertise events and more regarding intramurals!
  • Ammonia Leak: Video Timeline, Initial Map, Photo Timeline, Appearance on NBC News
    • The proudest I’ve ever been of our response to an event. This was a major incident that impacted so much of the community, and The Southwestern spearheaded a response that potentially could have saved lives. Community members thanked The Southwestern and our response for weeks following the event, and this was awesome to see.
  • And SO MUCH MORE:
    • There are so many more highlights, including tons of Instagram reels, countless tornado watch updates, a wildfire west of Weatherford, snow day pictures, but to add these would make this already long article even longer. So, check those out on our Instagram, Facebook, and website.