Flor-Ala continues tradition of serving campus, community

First and foremost, I want to extend a warm welcome to all incoming students, parents and family members to the UNA campus. The UNA campus is not only a place that I can call home, but it is a place that has taught me not only academically but socially, as well.

As far as campus experience goes, mine has really centered around my position on the newspaper staff for going on three years. This year will be very special to me, not only because I will be a senior and leaving soon, but because I will be the executive editor of a publication that is turning 81 years old soon.

Working for The Flor-Ala, or shall I say “my life,” is the most rewarding decision I have ever made during my college career. I plan to continue the paper’s long-standing tradition to bring information, news and great stories to the campus body and community.

In the past year, The Flor-Ala has seen not only a growth in our staff but also in our readership, and I want to work as hard as I can to ensure that the paper is something meaningful to every member of the student body.

Although there are several local news outlets students can watch, read or listen to, UNA has only one source for news that covers just about everything related to the campus and it’s The Flor-Ala.

We are here for students, faculty and staff, and we work hard every day to serve this community. We want to relay information and news that matters to UNA, information that needs to be shared.

The newspaper staff works hard 24 hours a day, seven days a week to bring the campus breaking news and information to ensure that students and other community members are informed in what is going on around them.

We strive to be a watchdog on the administration, local city government, police and student government. It is our job to look out for the best interests of students and ensure that their money is being spent wisely, they are being treated fairly and the education being offered at UNA is top-notch.

Enough of me bragging on the amazing publication and staff of students I oversee. We need students to help us continue to grow and better ourselves. If we do not get feedback from the student body we cannot get better. Let us know what we do wrong, what we do right and give us story ideas that are important to you.

Feel free to stop by our office on campus or email any of the other editors or me with your concerns. Nothing is off-limits. So, please give us feedback in constructive ways, in email, in person or on the phone. We actually look forward to hearing from the student body and community.

With all of that said, my one bit of advice for all of the incoming students (from freshmen all the way up to the non-traditional students who may be coming back to school to finish up a degree) is get involved.

Getting involved on campus is not only just a way to build a much-needed resume but also a way to meet life-long friends and to enjoy the experience while here at UNA. Whether it is SGA, intramural sports, service groups or even trying journalism with The Flor-Ala, get involved. Be interested in what is happening on this campus. There is always something going on, and always people to meet at UNA.