Guest blog by Layla Halibasic
Hi all! I’m Layla Halilbasic, editor-in-chief of The Ampersand, Webster University’s award-winning student magazine. The rest of the staff of The Ampersand and I are seeking out support for student journalism and the production of student media.
We’re a group of (mainly) freshmen who are currently trying to revive The Ampersand in print form after several semesters of the publication being solely available digitally.
Webster’s journalism program previously had a budget to pay for printing student media, funding a general manager and five editor positions (without federal work-study) and student travel to journalism conferences and to cover stories out of town.
We do not have any of those benefits.
We’re so excited to bring back the magazine, and even more so to print it. While we may be a small staff, we’re determined to make this upcoming issue the best one yet. Each of us is eager to grow not just as journalists, but as team players and collaborators. We have a genuine love for journalism and student media, and we know our lives and future careers will be greatly impacted and enhanced by the production of The Ampersand.
The Ampersand will only continue to grow and evolve with each issue as it is created each semester by Webster students who are sincerely dedicated to its production. We are certain we will create something not only we, but the rest of the Webster community, can enjoy and be wholeheartedly proud of.
We’ll be using these donations to cover printing costs of this upcoming issue, as well as future issues of The Ampersand and The Journal, Webster’s student newspaper.
Please consider playing a part in supporting student journalism! We would immensely appreciate any donation you are able to contribute so we can get a physical copy of The Ampersand in our hands. Thank you so much for your support!
