Image Credit: OliviaSchlinkman via Olivia Schlinkman
For the first issue of The Quad this year, I would like to introduce you to the new Editor-In-Chief, Olivia Schlinkman, as well as the new Managing Editor, Isaiah Ireland. The position of Editor-In-Chief oversees all staff members and the publication process as a whole, while the position of Managing Editor deals with financials and facilitating communication with members of The Quad.
Olivia Schlinkman is a fourth-year Political Science major with minors in Spanish and Journalism. She began at The Quad as a Staff Writer her first year and since then has held the positions of Copy Editor and Features Editor. She has always had a passion for journalism and storytelling, as she would make her own story books during her childhood and was an avid reader, particularly of the “Magic Tree House” series. Now, her storytelling interests lie in investigative and narrative journalism, as she enjoys the research process of this genre. Journalism has always been prevalent in Schlinkman’s life, as she served on both the yearbook and newspaper staffs at Ephrata High School.
Now, she is heavily involved in multiple organizations here at West Chester — not only as Editor-In-Chief of The Quad, but also as an editor of Daedalus — WCU’s literary magazine — and a member of Pi Sigma Alpha, the National Political Science Honor Society. Outside of West Chester, Schlinkman does freelance work for LNP | LancasterOnline — Lancaster County’s local news outlet — where she often writes for the Life and Culture section. Schlinkman describes her plans for The Quad this year as focusing on more outreach events to the West Chester community as she states, “there are so many good stories around campus, that sometimes may not receive the light because of time and staffing.”
After graduation, she plans to continue with the track of journalism and is excited to expand her skills and learn more about how she can take part within the field. When asked about what advice she would give to new writers looking to write for The Quad, Schlinkman advises, “to follow your passions because where your passions lead can give really great insight into really personal stories… and I encourage them to really listen to their audience and listen to the community… because at the end of the day that’s really the purpose of journalism, to serve your community.”
The new Managing Editor, Isaiah Ireland, began writing for The Quad near the end of his first year. He began as a Staff Writer submitting for the Arts and Entertainment section, before joining as an official staff member as Asst. Features Editor in the spring of his second year. For his third year, he took a semester off but came back in the spring as Asst. Features Editor for a second semester and was then elected for the position of Managing Editor for his fourth year. For Ireland, writing was not always a passion; he enjoyed and succeeded in writing assignments for school, but never thought it could go anywhere. When reflecting on how The Quad began his journey in writing, he stated, “I think with The Quad, it made me adapt to expressing myself more with writing, before that it was more so just something I knew I could do, I just never really honed in on it.”
Besides The Quad, Ireland is Treasurer of WCU’s chapter of the American Marketing Association, as well as President of the National Association of Black Journalists here at West Chester University. His goals for after graduation include moving to New York and interning at publications there in preparation for his dream job to work for The Philadelphia Inquirer. For new writers at The Quad, Ireland advises, “Don’t be afraid to write and don’t hold yourself back…I think a lot of us downplay our abilities that we do have, and if writing is that for you, try to maintain it or just act upon it.”
Both Schlinkman and Ireland display an admirable enthusiasm to get started on The Quad for this year that is shared by all of us on staff who have new and exciting topics and stories to share for upcoming issues; be sure to check them out on The Quad’s website or at distributing locations around town and on campus!
Grace Powell is a second-year Media and Culture major with a minor in Journalism. gp1019074@wcupa.edu