The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga has specific media outlets. The Echo, a student newspaper, is one of them. As a student, I wanted to write for The Echo because I love to write, and as a political science major, in class, I was only ever able to write about topics that I didn't always care about.
After joining The Echo, I soon realized that I was still being restricted with what I could write. I wasn't allowed to write about things that “mattered” (a statement that is subjective). I was only allowed to write about things that were considered “neutral” to everyone. I wrote countless articles for The Echo about multicultural issues. Instead of them being put in the newspaper, it was posted online (a website that people rarely frequent). I was tired of writing articles and then not having them put in the actual paper unless they were considered neutral (neutral to whom? I wish I could say I didn’t know). What's the point of media if it's not to make people think? Or feel outraged? Or learn something they didn't already know? I felt as though I was in Russia, where media is very much restricted by the government. If I wanted to write a controversial article about Putin, while living in Russia, for example, it wouldn't be allowed. Why was it the same way in America? At a supposed inclusive institution? I decided, then, that I wanted to make my own newspaper. Non-white students have told me before that they don't feel like The Echo is “for them”. Every once in awhile, there's a relevant article (clarifying definition: relevant for everyone), but other than that, it's generally whitewashed. So, why light The Torch? The Torch was a multicultural newspaper at UTC about a decade ago. The Torch: Reborn is a rebirth of that; going above and beyond. This website is for everybody. Want someone to read your poem? Want someone to write an article about your event? Want someone to listen to your mixtape? (We’ll allow mixtapes every once in awhile). Want to know about news that affects you (either on or off campus)? This is the website for you. The Echo is, majority of the time, simply that: an Echo of what we already know. The Torch: Reborn is a website that will, hopefully, ignite a flame. Welcome. Please feel free to leave comments and submit your work. Disclaimer: This newspaper is in no way meant to be in competition against The Echo, nor is it in any way meant to discourage people from reading The Echo. The Torch: Reborn is a newspaper that is meant to include all people, and this piece is an opinion piece based off of my personal experiences, and is in no way indicative of the experiences of all UTC students with The Echo.
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Author's NoteWelcome to The Torch: Reborn, we hope this ignites the flame within. Archives
March 2018
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