Editor in Chief: Anika Rehberg
ABAC is a beautiful community once you figure them out. It took me a little while to figure them out – a few years at least – and now that I have, I wouldn’t choose any other campus for myself. Give yourself time and be patient and curious. Say yes to everything you can – and do it all a little scared.
My personal journey at ABAC has been a bit tumultuous – I entered as a biology major with her heart set on research of some sort and soon was met with the reality I don’t enjoy math, so I went undecided for a while. That was until I took one of the most interesting courses with one of campus’ most beloved professors – POLS 1100 with Dr. Schmeisser. This course challenged me to think – especially with the questions and readings Dr. S asks, and I soon had a vested interest in this material. With ABAC’s smaller class sizes, Dr. S was able to take an interest in my education and encouraged me to take his Political Communication course the next semester, where I finally declared my major after an entire year of not knowing what I’d enjoy. I’m now a senior History and Government major – with a special interest in political communication.
A huge part of why I enjoy ABAC so much is the faculty – I probably would have left if it were not for them. Not only in the History and Government department, but everywhere. Each faculty member at ABAC has been so kind and supportive – they truly value the students and the education and guidance they provide to us. As the Editor in Chief of the newspaper, I wander onto every square inch of campus, and this paper wouldn’t be possible without the support of our faculty. Each conversation I’ve had with a faculty member has been nothing short of insightful and intentional.
The transition from high school to college is a difficult one – and the advice I can give is to hug your family, spend time outside, find some good music, build a good community of genuine friends, find a good mentor to confide in that has your best interest at heart and will tell you the hard things, and go to concerts. Do it all scared, and it will get easier.
The Stallion Faculty Advisor: Dr. Jeff Newberry
Having worked at ABAC for over twenty years, I am both honored and a little trepidatious about taking the reins of The Stallion Newspaper. With its long, storied history, the newspaper remains a nexus of campus news, events, and lifestyles, one that both the campus and community turn to. I want to continue that tradition.
More importantly, we live in an age in which the news media seems to have less and less credibility, and print media appears to be dying out. Sometimes, the phrase “dinosaur media” is applied to print outlets like The Stallion. As the new advisor, I want to push against that. The print media is the foundation upon which we’ve built our digital media space. Without it, websites, blogs and yes, even social media, would not exist. The newspaper is one of the last bastions of journalistic integrity. The Stallion does more than any clickbait article or ragebait video could ever do: the newspaper gives you the facts, double sourced.
As such, I am looking forward to shepherding a new generation of journalists who don’t merely want to see their names in print. Rather, I am excited to collaborate with editors and writers who want to find real news stories that matter to our readers. I want the Stallion to be the place people look for trusted, thorough cover of campus news and events.
I am a long-time ABAC faculty member who arrived when I was twenty-six years old. I’ve seen this campus grow and change. I’ve seen
it undergoes mission review. I have seen faculty, admin, and students come and go. Through it all, The Stallion remained, quietly covering our stories as ABAC grows.
As my friend, the late Eric Cash used to tell me, student media is for students. Taking over an institution he built, I can’t put it better myself. Thank you, ABAC, for giving me this opportunity.