About this site
This site is the work of students in the Visual Communication concentration in the School of Journalism and Strategic Media at Middle Tennessee State University. It provides an opportunity for students to experience a real-world work environment at an online publication. At editorial meetings, students pitch story ideas and collectively decide on content. Each student reports on and writes stories that have been accepted by the group, and either creates or obtains visuals for their stories. Students also copy edit and fact check each others’ stories.
The challenge presented to the students is to create a site with stories and information that would be relevant and interesting to the University community. It’s not a news site; stories need to remain relevant from year to year (stories will get updated each academic year by the current students in the class).
Every aspect of the site, including the name, was decided collectively by the students. The design of the site, which is changed with each new class, is also worked out collectively under the guidance and technical supervision of the faculty instructor. The entire site is custom designed and coded as part of the project, using some Bootstrap elements. Students have taken two web design and coding courses prior to joining this team, and are required to code the pages for their own stories, as well as create interactive graphics for at least one of their stories.
Faculty instructor: Associate Professor Phil Loubere
Contributing students:
2018: Alexis Axley, Collin Brown, Courtney Fleming, Carlee Francis, Misty Francis, Shabreiya Lucas, Kristina Odom.
2019: Leslie Bell, Nathan Estus, Tara Flores, Ikumi Kajisa, Angele Latham, Amberle Phillips, Nick Thomas, Scarlett Tull.
2020: Quinn Hill, Emily Knight.
2021: Kate Davis, Josie Franks, Emily Graham, Lori Prater.
2021 site design: Kate Davis.
2021 site coding, carousel photo editing: Lori Prater.
About the Visual Communication concentration: MTSU Visual Communication.
About the School: MTSU School of Journalism and Strategic Media.
Contact: phil.loubere@mtsu.edu.