Although I am new to the position of Outside Editor, I am not new to the team at SUU News. I began my career at the University Journal as a photographer last year.
I applied for the position after volunteering as the photographer for the Parents and Family Office on campus, and throughout the year I slowly began to dip my toes into the waters of journalism.
When I applied this year, I did so for another photography position. Currently I hold that title of photographer, as well as a new position for me, the Outside Section Editor.
Receiving the outdoor section scared me at first. I wasn’t a journalist and I had never taken a journalism writing class. I had been told in the past that my writing was something less than spectacular. But, I saw the value in the position.
I have gained a little managerial experience, I have been given the opportunity to improve my writing skills and I now get to write about something I love, the outdoors. Despite being nervous I jumped in with both feet.
Now, my plans are to take the outdoor section in a somewhat different direction. I still plan on including the usual hiking and mountain biking stories, as well as the outdoor activities on campus. In addition, I want to expand the content to include other outdoor activities such as fishing, OHV riding, ATV riding and adventures close to campus. The possibility of gear reviews is also in the works.
With a background in search and rescue, I hope to offer some advice on ways to have fun and explore the great outdoors while staying safe.
I welcome anyone with suggestions on trips that I should include or activities that I should try to email me at outside@suunews.com.
Letter from Mitchell Quartz – Outside Editor
