Spotlight on… The Valley Vanguard

Shelby Mott Editor-in-Chief

If you had asked Shelby Mott what her major was a few semesters after enrolling at SVSU, she would have responded with professional and technical writing. Now, she answers with music education, but quickly adds her goal is not to teach in a K–12 setting. Instead, she wants to get her master’s degree and start a non-profit organization that reforms how jazz education occurs in the schools. For Mott, it’s all about change and composing in its broadest sense of the word whether that work involves her beloved soprano saxophone, her future non-profit work, or her duties as editor of The Valley Vanguard.

Originally from Fremont, Michigan, Mott began at SVSU in Fall 2018. That year, she also joined the Vanguard as a reporter, filing story upon story. She then moved into leadership roles. First, she served as sports editor (she laughs about her time in that role), found more of a niche as the arts and entertainment editor and the opinion editor in 2019, and then assumed the role of editorin-chief in 2021.

Repetition and revision, to use jazz references, have been central to her work as editor-inchief and her time at SVSU She notes that her many articles helped her acclimate to the school and interviewing others really pushed her outside of her comfort zone Moving beyond her comfort zone was a lesson also repeated in an Introduction to Creative Writing class (ENG 261) taught by C. Vince Samarco, a professor of English. There, the sharing and workshopping of her writing was a regular occurrence that helped her develop as a writer.

Revision and improvisation or, in music terms, the revisiting of a line or melody—were also something she experienced in and out of the classroom. Mott cites Fenobia Dallas, a professor of rhetoric and professional writing, as another writing influence, one who was instrumental in helping Mott decide to change to her music education major. Revision and change are also central to Mott’s work as editor-in-chief, and not just in the traditional sense of editing for correctness or adherence to the Associated Press Handbook Mott says she never expected to grow so much from her experience as editor-in-chief. Skills gained included getting to the point with her writing and learning about project organization and management; she also became informed about hiring, payroll, and even advertising processes and procedures.

Many of Mott’s editorial duties this past year have also been about revisiting the past following best practices she deems central to the Vanguard’s success. These practices were, by and large, upset by the pandemic. A major goal (and one at which Mott has succeeded) was to get a physical newspaper published and placed on the newsstands every week.

Another COVID-created challenge involved the rebuilding of relationships. Staff members had become used to meeting online, often conducting their interviews virtually as well. Consequently, Mott strove this year to create a culture of community and togetherness, returning to in-person meetings and acknowledging the contributions of all staff members writers, advisor, editors, and photographers. She also stressed to her reporters that they should be brave and do their interviews live and in-person. (“Be pushy,” she says with another laugh.) Other goals were to expand the paper beyond its four-page spread, something that was commonly done in the past, and to keep engaging in investigative reporting, a genre that she praises former editor Kaitlyn Farley as really excelling at. The Vanguard, Mott believes, is at its best when it is not just reporting facts but having a social impact.

That, however, doesn’t mean the factual reporting of campus happenings isn’t important, especially in a year where having “physical, real-world” events take place on campus was both a novelty and necessity. Originally appearing in the Vanguard on April 10, 2022, “Street Fest Returns to Campus after a Six-year Break” was written by Trinity Sullivan and reminds readers of the importance of campus life outside of the classroom. ***

“Street Fest Returns to Campus after a Six-year Break”

by Trinity Sullivan

SVSU hosted its Streetfest April 8–9, giving the community a chance to have fun and enjoy the warming spring weather.

The event, which was hosted in collaboration between Student Life, Program Board, and Valley Nights, spanned two days in parking lots D and E, next to the Ryder Center.

Streetfest, which opened exclusively to students Friday and the general public Saturday, offered fair-goers the chance to win prizes, take part in various rides and games, and enjoy multiple food trucks.

Olivia Getzinger, a biochemistry senior and the executive senior event planner for Program Board, gave some input on what led up to the event.

“This event has been in planning since October 2021,” she said. “There haven’t been too many large hurdles along the way, just small ones that were easily overcome with the help from my team in Student Life, Program Board, and Valley Nights.”

Specific attractions included a petting zoo, archery tag, and a Ferris wheel. The event was further incentivized by the first 1,000 students who attended receiving $10 in food truck vouchers.

Paige Dejohn, a computer science junior, weighed in on her experience at Streetfest.

“I was really excited for the rides,” Dejohn stated. “It’s been along time since I’d been able to go on one.”

Dejohn commented on how long she’s been looking forward to the fair.

“I heard about it a couple weeks ago, and I thought ‘that sounds fun,’” she explained. “I’ve been having a bit of a hard time lately and I just felt like ‘you gotta get up, you gotta get out and do something’ and this is such a big event to do that. I’m really glad I got to be there and got to experience some of it.”

Getzinger also shared her optimism for the event.

“This Streetfest is bigger and better than any year previously,” she said “I was most looking forward to enjoying all of the attractions with my fellow Cardinals.”

Dejohn shared her hopes for other students in attendance.

“I hope everyone had fun and if you had a bad day, a bad week, anything, you got to have a good time here,” she said. “Even though it was a bit of a cloudy, dreary day I was happy looking around and seeing everyone else be happy.”

Reprinted by permission of The Valley Vanguard.