I’m not sure when I began to really consider my future with The Flor-Ala, but, some time during my junior year, I did. It started out as something fun to do every week—a way to get involved on campus—but at some point it just became home to me.

 

I thought very seriously during the spring semester about leaving Florence and moving to Atlanta but then decided against it. I kicked myself for weeks after that choice, upset I had made myself miss out on the opportunity to apply for an editor position.

 

Halfway through the summer, I was offered the online/multimedia editor position. I obviously accepted the offer, and I already can’t imagine what my life would have been like this year if I hadn’t.

 

Before the first issue of the paper hit stands, I made a list of goals I want to accomplish in this position this year. The list includes things like revamping our social media presence, increasing content and traffic on our website and producing some form of a video series. 

 

I’ve been working alongside film and digital media production major Mackenzie Tucker to fulfill my goal of producing a video series. For the past two weeks, he and I have been filming, editing, re-filming and brainstorming the first installment of our new series called Back Talk.

 

The first video, “Parking … Enough Said,” is available on The Flor-Ala website and YouTube. Parking is a problem for me, much like it is a problem for many of the students we feature in the video. Back Talk gave them a chance to sound off on their parking woes.

 

I would be remiss if I didn’t take a moment to highlight how much work went into our first installment. My initial vision for Back Talk was nothing like the end result, but the end result far exceeded any expectations I could have held.

 

David McCreary, our cross-campus runner, was so willing and eager to help make the video successful. And Mackenzie, who possesses far more knowledge about movie software and cameras than I ever will, took Back Talk to a level I didn’t know existed. I’m incredibly proud of the video and the work he did on it.

 

My hope is Back Talk will grow to be an outlet for student opinion and thoughts but will also entertain the campus community.

 

I realize Back Talk is still very much in its infancy, but I hope you come to expect a new installment every other week (it’s going to be a bi-weekly production) and enjoy watching it.

 

If you ever have thoughts, feedback, topic suggestions or the like, please don’t hesitate to tell me. Back Talk isn’t going to be a broadcast news series, and we are here to make your thoughts and concerns known.

 

With that being said, please contact me. Tweet me @bksteelman or find me on Facebook. Email me. Send me a carrier pigeon. I want to hear your thoughts. I want students’ opinions on important campus issues to be heard. We want you to talk back.