How The Muhlenberg Weekly Helped Me Find My Voice and Build Community on Campus
Getting involved with the student newspaper has introduced me to new people and experiences that have changed the way I look at writing, journalism, and myself as a whole.By: Emma Northrop ’27 Wednesday, January 15, 2025 01:55 PM
Gabi Damens ’27 with the author, Emma Northrop ’27, as she covered The Hìtëkw Project for the WeeklyEmma Northrop ’27, a history and English double major, is the assistant editor of arts and culture for The Muhlenberg Weekly. Her stories can be found here.
Anybody who meets me quickly learns that the only things I love more than colorful pens are the words written with them. From a young age, I’ve adored journaling and writing stories — from fantastical tales to accounts of everyday life. That being said, my writing always stayed between me and the page. It was through The Muhlenberg Weekly that I learned how amazing it feels to share your writing with others.
I started at The Muhlenberg Weekly during my first semester, in fall of 2023. Like many students, I attended the club fair and filled out an exorbitant amount of interest forms. While I only followed through on a few, I knew from the start that the Weekly was something I wanted to be involved in.
Editors work on the Weekly last fall. Photo by Sierra Addy ’27
At the Weekly’s interest meeting, all of the editors were open and excited to welcome potential writers. I flitted through groups discussing different roles in news, sports, photography, layout, and campus voices. However, I felt most inspired to write for arts and culture. This section combined my love of writing with my love of the arts in a way that was immensely exciting. I met with the editor at the time, Shinam Hussain ’25, who encouraged me to start writing for the section. About a week later, I had my first assignment!
As someone whose high school didn’t have a newspaper, I was worried that I didn’t have the skills to write a journalistic piece. In spite of my fears, the Weekly made it very easy to get started and eased me into the process. My editor provided an assignment sheet, giving me details about the event I was to attend, what types of questions my article should answer, and an example of a similar article from a previous edition to use as reference. While I was definitely still nervous, I didn’t feel like I was writing the article by myself. I had a team of editors behind me to support me as I took on this new challenge.
“As someone whose high school didn’t have a newspaper, I was worried that I didn’t have the skills to write a journalistic piece. … I didn’t feel like I was writing the article by myself. I had a team of editors behind me to support me as I took on this new challenge.”
—Emma Northrop ’27
My first assignment was covering the Rhonda Wall opening reception at the Martin Art Gallery. I adored learning about Wall and her works, listening to her anecdotes, and continuing the conversation through journalism. I had never been to an artist talk before, and I don’t know if I’d have had the courage to go if it weren’t for the Weekly.
Because of the Weekly, I’ve attended and covered many events at Muhlenberg that I wouldn’t have engaged so deeply with otherwise. Some of my favorites have been “Love in Idleness,” “Reset: New Dances,” “The Penelopiad” and The Hìtëkw Project. Every article has taught me something new about our community, as I’ve covered topics from theatre and dance to celebrations of Indigenous representation on campus. I’ve also built invaluable skills, learning how to conduct interviews, write under deadlines, and develop my journalistic voice.
One of the beauties of writing for the Weekly is that you can be involved at whatever level you choose. During my first semester of freshman year, I wrote an article almost every week. Second semester, I started taking additional courses and decided to write an article every other week. I know plenty of people who will write just a handful of articles a semester — and all of their work is equally valued.
“Being able to gather with so many other people not only interested in writing, but in sharing one’s work, has been an invaluable experience and something I will carry with me throughout life.”
—Emma Northrop ’27
Last semester, I was honored to join the editorial team. As assistant editor of arts and culture, my work for the Weekly has gained a new dimension. While I still write articles, I also attend production meetings most Tuesday nights. There, each section’s editors work on proofreading the articles submitted to us. We utilize the project management tool Trello to outline summaries, pull quotes to emphasize on our website, and indicate which articles will be featured on our social media. At the end of the night, we plan out the next week’s articles, contacting writers and creating assignment sheets.
At these meetings, I’ve gotten to know many members of the staff, bonding over editorial qualms and late-night dinners from General’s Quarters. Being able to gather with so many other people not only interested in writing, but in sharing one’s work, has been an invaluable experience and something I will carry with me throughout life.
Looking forward, I hope to keep taking on more responsibility at the Weekly. I’d love to give other new writers the same welcoming experience that I got to have! As a history and English double major, I know that writing will always be a part of my life. Thanks to the Weekly, I’ve finally become comfortable with the vulnerability that comes from writing. Now, I’m excited to share that piece of me with the world!
