Lindsey Wilkinson and Keely Brewer, editors-in-chief of Alice magazine and The Crimson White (CW), respectively, graduated this month, both with bachelor’s degrees in news media. We recently caught up with these student leaders to see how their time at the Capstone has influenced where they’re headed next.
Alice Magazine Prepares Lindsey for Washington, D.C.
Lindsey, a news media major from Rome, GA, served as the Editor-in-chief of Alice magazine while Keely, a senior News Media major from Hattiesburg, MS, was the Editor-in-chief of The Crimson White. These and other student-run publications are advised and supported by Student Media.
Lindsey grew up a die-hard fan of the Crimson Tide in Rome, GA. With parents who were UA alumni, she always knew that Tuscaloosa would be her college home. During visits to the Supe Store in high school, she always loved to read the newest issue of Alice to see what was going on around campus. She knew she wanted to be part of the Alice team, so during Student Involvement’s Get on Board Day her freshman year, she came to the Alice table to get plugged in with them. The rest is history!
After graduation, Lindsey will move to Washington, D.C. where she will serve as associate editor of CIO Dive. As Lindsey reflects on her time with Alice, she is most proud of the community she has been able to create and foster among the staff.
“My experience with Alice has prepared me in every single way to go into the professional world. I have a better understanding of management and how to lead and collaborate with others. I know the ins and outs of the newsroom and how it works,” Lindsey said.
The Crimson White Equips Keely for Memphis, TN
Keely attended a residential high school (Mississippi School for Math and Sciences) nearly three hours away from her home in Hattiesburg,Keeley works on story with a staff member MS. Comfortable living away from home, she wanted to go out of state for college. When she visited UA’s campus to help a friend with senior photos, she knew the Capstone was where she wanted to be.
Keely got involved with The Crimson White during the spring semester of her freshman year. She was already connected to the then editor-in-chief, and the CW was a good outlet for her creative skills, which include writing and photography. In addition to the CW, she also worked with Alice during her undergraduate years. Her involvement with both of these media outlets gave her valuable experience that, according to her, equipped her for a journalism career better than the classroom ever could have.
“I view student journalists as full-time journalists. We walk into the same rooms as local and national organizations and have the same expectations that any full-time jobs would have. It taught me to work on deadlines at a professional level.” Keely said.
When she looks back on her time at the Capstone and her work with The Crimson White, Keely says she will be most proud of her staff’s coverage of the renaming of Autherine Lucy Hall and their real-time reporting of the story. “This story was important and made a real difference, and I will forever be proud of how we handled such an important and historic moment.”
After graduation, Keely will relocate to Memphis, TN where she will work for the Daily Memphian as a Report for America corps member covering environmental impacts on communities of color.
To get involved with Student Media, fill out their Start Here form or follow them on social media (@uastudentmedia). And you can always visit their tables at Get On Board Day just like Lindsey did!