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. There are also more professional publications published on campuses as well. Most colleges and universities produce publications for students, faculty, staff, and alumni. Although these are written and edited by professional staffs, students often are given opportunities to take assignments as part of classes, for parttime employment, and for other purposes.How do you get started? At most student publications, it is as simple as walking into the office and asking to meet with an editor. Introduce yourself and tell him or her that you want to write. An application might be completed along the way, but the big step is asking for, and accepting, that first assignment. Some publications give you a specific story to begin. Others are willing to take your own suggestions for stories. Because you may be asked to propose something, be prepared to suggest a strong feature story idea.Campus NewspapersAs in the commercial world, college newspapers come in all shapes and sizes. Some are broadsheet (or traditional full size) whereas others are tabloids (halfsize pages). Some campus newspapers publish as seldom as two or three times a month, others as often as 5 to 7 days a week when school is in session. Some have summer editions whereas others do not. In terms of management, some campus newspapers are independent of the school's central administration, but many are not. Regardless of the type of newspaper on your campus, it is likely that your school has some sort of newspaper and perhaps even more than one. This translates into opportunity for you to learn about feature writing.Campus newspapers regularly publish feature material. Depending on the school and its size, opportunities to write features for campus newspapers vary. Some campus newspapers, even the highest quality publications, can never seem to recruit enough news and feature writers. Others, most likely ones published at major state universities and other big schools, have much more competitive situations and any staff writing positions are difficult to secure.Two of the most popular featureoriented sections are typically entertainment and sports. A third section embraces student lifestyles and extracurricular activities. These are subjects in which college students often seem to feel most comfortable and are great places to start. However, remember that there are other sections needing help, Page 453too. Opinion section editors are always looking for insightful and interesting columnists with a fresh look at current events or with something to say about the issues. Student activities how students spend their time both on and off campus, never cease to be potential feature material. In a recent issue of the University of Houston's Daily Cougar, contributing writer Craig Bowers (1998) wrote this story about standing in lines to pay fees or buy books and supplies at the beginning of a new semester:Waiting in line is a timehonored tradition at the University of Houston, and this semester is no exception.The main story of the day is, as always, the UC bookstore. Everyone had something to say about the lines in the store long after he had finished purchasing his books. One student reported that she had waited 40 minutes in line to pay for her books. At one point, two lines with 30 people each, snaked from the registers to the back wall.Sarah Abdul, a junior business major, was among those in line.''This is a big university," Abdul said. "You mean they can only afford three cashiers?"Abdul said she had to wait for an hour and a half before she finally made it out of the store.She said she was especially upset because it was not the first time she had encountered slow service."Last semester, the line wrapped around the building," she said. "I told myself, 'Just wait. Maybe this won't happen again.' But I was wrong" . . . . (p. 1)Activities, entertainment, and campus events that are a part of student lifestyles are also reasons to write news features for campus publications. And it is newsworthy when proposals are put forth to change policies or laws that affect the activities and interests of students. Thus, when a local law is proposed that might keep students from participating in a favorite leisure activity, a strong feature would look at how students feel about the proposal. This is what University of Arizona reporter Jimi Jo Story, assisted by Zach Thomas, did when the Arizona Daily Wildcat assigned a story about an effort to change the legal age for gambling from 18 to 21
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