During the fall semester, a group of LCC students in collaboration with several professors launched an online newspaper - International University Chronicle. The newspaper is a voluntary-based project where students write articles about various student events on campus highlighting the life of the community. Editor-in-chief Mariia Lysikova, Sports Section editor Alina Kovyrialova, and photographer Mykola Muzhytskyi shared about the importance of student newspaper for the LCC community and their future plans.

How was the idea for a voluntary-based student newspaper born?
Mariia: I have been thinking about creating a student newspaper since last year. It seemed to me that there were not enough channels for students to share information from their perspective. As a result, we gathered a team at the beginning of the 2019 Fall semester, and with support from the LCC professors, started developing the project further.

Why is a student newspaper important for the community?
Mariia: Our newspaper is a space where students can share their opinions about campus life and events. There are specific topics of interest for students, that seem to lack in student voice expression.

Alina: Working in the newspaper is an opportunity to practice my communication skills. As a sports section editor, I am able to use the theoretical knowledge I have received over the past four years and put it into practical real-life situations.

All of you have different positions in the newspaper. How important is your position for the newspaper and for you personally?
Alina: I try my best to portray our Moose Football and Basketball teams in a new light. The community follows both of them, but I wanted to write about them on a slightly different level. I want students to know the teams and their coaches better.

Mariia: As editor-in-chief, I am responsible for consistency and project management. I do not write articles, but I manage reporters, proofread, and approve articles. Connection with the community is also important because it allows me to understand what people would like to read, and what reporters are willing to cover.

Mykola: Almost every day I get messages about events on campus that need to be covered. It is important to visualize the content, and this is my main responsibility in this team.

The International University Chronicle is a voluntary-based project. Why did you decide to be a part of it?
Mariia: The student newspaper provides experience in journalism, reporting, and managing projects. It is an opportunity to develop my skills, as well as create a platform that students can use to express their opinions, concerns, and cover events. This way it also trains their journalistic skills.

What are your hopes for this project over the next semester?
Mariia: I truly hope we will manage to update news more frequently, as now we are struggling with timing. Also, I would like us to cover a broader spectrum of news that will extend beyond our focus on campus life.

Alina: My hope is to broaden the sports section of the newspaper and to cover more than just the official sports teams. LCC students established a lot of student clubs, and several of them are connected with sports. For example, some sports clubs established are rugby, capoeira, and yoga. We should definitely involve members of these clubs and showcase them to our community.

Mykola: I would really like to see more people involved in our project. My biggest desire is for us to become an authentic newspaper, being independent and having mostly students in charge of the paper.