I remember being a contributor with The Cascade during my first year of university, and the feeling I got when my very first story was featured on the cover page. There’s something magical about working at the paper that stuck with me even when I took a break to focus on my studies.
In 2021, I officially applied to The Cascade as a Staff Writer, quickly moving up to Jr. News Editor. By then, the University of the Fraser Valley’s student-run newspaper, established in 1993, had been in operation for 28 years. In that time, hundreds of students, from writers to production managers, have cycled through the office’s metaphorical revolving doors, collectively subsisting on stale coffee and power naps under the looming shadow of a print deadline.
The operation is an ongoing relay race, as the batons of office quickly pass from one runner to the next, semester after semester, year upon year. Why do we do it? (It certainly isn’t the money). I wanted to know, and I’m betting a few of you do as well. Personally, I love getting to meet people and share the stories of so many amazing students and faculty who are making a difference in the university and community. I am blown away at how generous people can be, and sharing their stories helps to make the world a little more hopeful and brighter.
Having a student-run newspaper gives us students the opportunity to hone our skills, whether that’s writing, illustrating, business management, or leading a team of creative people to successfully produce a biweekly newspaper.
But everyone has their own goals and motivations — as well as insecurities. Maybe you’ve thought about applying, or contributing, but aren’t sure what you’re getting yourself into. I wanted to ask some of my colleagues about what inspired them to work here — and why.
Kaitlyn Thompson: Managing Editor
Kait, what’s your role at The Cascade and what responsibilities does your job entail?
As managing editor, I function as the “HR” of The Cascade and oversee the hiring and training of all 20+ of our student staff and contributors. I edit every article that goes into each issue, and alongside the Editor-in-Chief, help to make final decisions on what gets published. I also organize events and workshops for the benefit of The Cascade staff and student body, plan and organize the activities of the Executive Team and The Cascade Journalism Society, send out our pitchlists and manage our mailing list of contributors, write articles for every issue, and fill in to cover sectional editor duties where needed. It’s essentially a full time job!
Why do you think it’s important to have a student-run newspaper?
I think having any kind of campus media that is accessible to students — such as The Cascade or CIVL — is so valuable and important to having any kind of campus culture. I am always surprised at how few students are aware of the opportunities these institutions provide; It’s really amazing that anyone who is interested can get involved and write, create, or produce their own content and have it published in print or broadcast.
In what ways has working with The Cascade added value to your academic experience?
Working for The Cascade has taught me so much about the amount of work that goes into producing something like a paper, and I have gained invaluable professional experiences that, as an aspiring writer, will probably help me out in my future career. I would say I’ve learned more from this job than I have from some of my classes due to the volume of writing and editing that I’ve had to do on a regular basis. It’s also made me feel more connected to the student culture, as I’ve been able to find a “community” on our commuter campus that sometimes feels a little isolating.
Lindsey Roberts: Creative Director
Hi Lindsey, what do you want to tell people about your position with The Cascade??
I am the Creative Director. I ensure that the paper looks aesthetically pleasing and follows a good layout. I also manage our illustrators, photographer, designers, and production team. Each issue I determine what articles would benefit from illustrations and photographs and come up with concepts for each that will best represent the article’s main points and give advice throughout the process. I also do this for our cover and corresponding feature which are an important part of our paper and entices the lovely readers to pick up a copy.
I am also responsible for The Zine that is published once per semester. This involves coming up with the theme, collecting and voting on submissions, directing illustrators, and putting the layout together. It’s a process but it is so rewarding to have a place to display students’ creative work. The creative team has an important role in making sure that the paper looks good and is readable. Afterall, looking through the pictures in the paper is always the best part in my opinion!
What for you is the most rewarding thing about your job?
I love thinking of concepts and working with other creatives to bring written words into visual life. I started as an illustrator at the paper so working on the other side, giving creative direction, is different but very rewarding. I also love seeing the paper in print and having something tangible to hold in your hands that displays everyone’s hard work. It’s a great feeling to see people reading it!
What aspect of your job is the most challenging?
Sometimes trying to think of new and creative concepts every issue can be a challenge. I try not to get creatively burnt out. Sometimes, it is hard to find a balance between a full course load and working at the paper, but I love it so much, and I wouldn’t change it!
What would you like to see done at The Cascade that hasn’t been done?
I’m not sure if this has been done in the past but it would be cool to have a column that features a student at UFV each issue where they could talk about their university experience, their program, their goals, and plans, etc.
Also having a place where students could submit their artwork/photography or creative writing would be nice.
Niusha Naderi: Production Manager
Niusha, what motivated you to apply to work at The Cascade?
Back in fall 2021, I started my first semester at UFV and was very new to Canada. [Besides] my classes, I also wanted to challenge myself and work. A friend mentioned that The Cascade [was] hiring, so I didn’t hesitate and applied for the position of Production Assistant. This led to me being responsible for the feature and cover design for 2 semesters before I moved up as Production Manager.
What makes your job rewarding?
The most rewarding thing about my job is my interactions with the team — editors, artists etc. and the sense of community that comes with it. It’s very familiar! Not to mention, after staring at the digital form for hours, seeing the paper printed and getting to hold it is truly rewarding as well. Passing by people who are admiring and reading the paper is one of those moments where I cry from the inside and suppress my tears of joy!
What advice would you give to the person who comes into the role after you?
Don’t be afraid to take this responsibility on! If I, as an alien from another country with a language barrier can work myself up to production, so can you! Don’t be afraid to communicate; everyone is very understanding. It doesn’t seem so scary once you’re in. And it’s hands down one of the best things I’ve ever done during my time at UFV. Sometimes you might lose it, but always keep your cool — it always works out at the end.
Do you have a message for the readers?
You are the real OG’s, the ones who keep this beautiful paper alive and motivate us to work. I hope that the things you see and read in the paper are things that are relevant to you and [that] you keep grabbing the paper every time it comes out.
We do this for you amazing people! Much Love!
Carolina Talcan: Illustrator
What motivated you to apply to work at The Cascade?
Since I came to Canada and got into UFV, The Cascade newspaper was the first thing that caught my attention. As I have been interested in graphic design since my teens, I never was so close to a place that has some relation with what I want to work in. I decided to apply this winter as a way to try working in the area and make my creative skills better.
What sort of things would you like to see The Cascade in the future?
Maybe it will be challenging but, The Cascade has a lot to share. It is a good team. Giving the chance to have more events to get to know them; make tiny Zines; have some contests. That might be fun to have from time to time.
What do you think is the value in having a student-run newspaper in the University?
It is important to know a little more about what each generation might have to say or share in one platform around the university. There are different interests around the students and it is nice to gather different opinions and ideas in one handy text that everyone can have access to around the campus.
Emmaline Spencer: Opinion Editor
So, Emmaline, what drew you to work at The Cascade?
Admittedly, a big chunk of me choosing to work here was due to the mirror ball located in the office. I still remember being new on campus and hiding away in the SUB. I’d barely noticed it, but there was a little sparkle on the second floor so I went upstairs to investigate. I discovered The Cascade and opted to apply as a staff writer due to my desire to make a rather public complaint about the shuttle bus system at the time.
[The] second time around, I read a certain article by Andrea Sadowski. I was inspired to apply again, this time as the Junior News Editor, a position I held for a couple of semesters.
What’s your job with the paper?
Currently, I am the Opinion Editor. My role is to write at least one article for the paper per issue and to be the first layer of editing to the opinion section. In addition… I come up with pitches for the opinion section and moderate its content.
What for you is the most rewarding aspect of your job?
The opinion section is one of the most approachable sections of the paper to write for. I enjoy supporting contributors through the writing process and helping them grow as writers. There is something really special about working as a team to put something together and then getting to see it published in ink.
Have you got a message for the readers?
Thank you for reading! It makes a lot of what we do feel worthwhile when I hear that people actually enjoy it. I hope that those of you who have been holding back from writing an article find the courage to shoot us an email or say hi when we table at campus activities. You can always say hi to me if you ever see me on campus; I love having any opportunity to talk about on goings of UFV and The Cascade.
Chandy Dancey: Former Managing Editor
You’ve held many positions at The Cascade. What was good and challenging about each job?
I’d say [as] a staff writer, your challenge at that time was keeping up your obligations every week because we were weekly, not biweekly. So you really had to dig for a lot of interviews and try to work ahead and make sure that you got your articles in on time. But [in] that position, you had a lot of freedom to write about whatever you wanted to.
Arts in Review Editor… might have been my favorite position, and that’s because I came into it with a vision for how I wanted to change the section and I was able to enact it. I felt like I was making my mark [and] executing my vision that I wanted to see happen. The person before me had one or two interests with multimedia that they wanted to do reviews on, and for me — I wanted to do everything. I want[ed] to do podcasts… YouTube channels… magazines, books; I wanted to do more of everything.
What inspired you to apply for The Cascade in the first place?
When I first started at UFV I felt isolated. It was hard to make friends and meet people in my classes. So then I started reading the paper when I was waiting for the bus and over time, I started to recognize the same people, the same writing styles, recognizing names that I saw, and I felt really understood when people would write in The Cascade from the student perspective about being a commuter campus and lacking a social life.
I really appreciated hearing that explanation for what I was feeling at the time, and I really love that kind of student perspective that we can give of chronicling what students are going through when they’re in this crazy part of their life. I really wanted to take the plunge and start writing myself, especially because I saw so many ads for positions at the time. Writing for the paper just happened to turn out to be this great outlet for me creatively and there was a lot more freedom than I had in my science program [where] I was writing essays and scientific papers.
Why do you think it’s important to have a student-run newspaper?
I think that the newspaper provides a service for students, even if not everyone takes full advantage of it or fully appreciates it. We chronicle the student experience… even if it criticizes the university or SUS. We offer student opportunities and we put on free events. I’ve heard from past editors and distributors that business owners would look forward to getting our paper. And when you publish a really good article that you’re proud of, classmates will bring it up in class or you’ll get a compliment from a professor in the hallway. I think that, for the little that the newspaper asks of students monetarily, I think it gives a lot back in return. We’re part of a larger community, and we’re actually very involved with the community.
Now that you’ve graduated and you’ve moved on from university, how has your experience at The Cascade benefited you?
Through the newspaper, that’s where I learned that my love of writing extends past just creative fiction, and I’m really passionate about journalism. I made friends that I still know to this day through the paper, and I gained so much experience like managing a team, working with others, and organizing events. I learned to write better, and it made me feel like I was part of something that mattered at UFV that gave me a creative outlet, but also a purpose.
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Well, there you have it from the Staff of The Cascade! There is a role for everyone, even if that role is reading the paper — after all, you’re who we make it for! Every student is capable of so much, and being part of The Cascade gives us opportunities to go above and beyond our expectations and allows us the freedom to be creative.
Don’t be afraid to try new things — and do consider working for The Cascade, because you never know where it will take you.
Thanks for reading!
Rachel is working towards a BA with a concentration in English and Theatre. She has been employed at The Cascade since Fall 2021 as a Staff Writer and a Jr. News Editor. Currently, she is the sectional News Editor and enjoys meeting and interviewing people as well as taking long walks in nature. Rachel also likes to stay up to date on the latest trends and informs students through her fashion column entitled Campus Fashion.
