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Open Positions:

Editor in Chief |  1 Position | Apply

DUE: Saturday, April 1

The editor-in-chief is responsible for overseeing all operations of Calvin Chimes. She or he directs all functions of the newspaper and must secure excellency in all areas. He or she acts as Chimes’ representative to the Calvin community, whether that be the student body, faculty, administration or alumni. The EIC must be familiar with journalistic practice and meet Student Publication Committee guidelines.

The editor-in-chief sets the vision of Chimes for the school year, starting from the very first week of school to the last week before exams. He or she reviews every article, photo, headline, page and ad before it runs in print or online. He or she makes the final decision on editorial stances regarding what runs in the paper. He or she must be available to the staff, as well as must regularly consult with the faculty advisor and Student Publications Committee members.

Specific Responsibilities:
Designating and running a weekly meeting where all editors, staff reporters/photographers and faculty advisors can be present
Overseeing all work before it is published, whether online or in print
Acting as a liaison between the newspaper and the administration; between the newspaper and the Student Publications Committee; between the newspaper and the faculty advisor
Training and recruiting staff so that they understand their role and responsibilities to Chimes
Attending and participating in Student Publications Committee meetings
Addressing accusations of misconduct and disciplining staff when needed
Executing annual goals laid out in Chimes’ strategic vision
Observing and understanding the current climate of campus while staying updated on current events
Logging budget items and managing the newspaper’s budget
Motivating and encouraging the staff

Managing Editor|  1 Position | Apply

DUE: Saturday, April 1

The managing editor is second to the editor-in-chief and assists him or her wherever needed. There is substantial overlap in the work of the managing editor and the editor-in-chief; however, there are key differences to the job. The EIC is in charge of overall operations and strategy, while the managing editor handles the day-to-day needs of the newspaper’s editorial staff.

He or she oversees section editors, ensuring they understand what they need to accomplish for the coming issue and beyond. The managing editor also works with section editors to improve their work and motivates them to expand their projects for Chimes. Although not the chief ambassador of Chimes to the community, he or she is still a high-level representative of the paper and must act accordingly.

Responsibilities:
Attending weekly meetings organized by the editor-in-chief
Ensuring that the order of communication and command holds
Communicating the editor-in-chief’s comments and concerns to the staff
Mentoring staff to improve writing and journalistic skills
Attending and participating in Student Publications Committee meetings
Motivating and encouraging staff
Reporting and editing sensitive and high profile stories
Recruiting staff members
Regularly editing articles

Chimes depends on student writers, editors, and photographers to keep its pages in print all school-year-round. Our newsroom runs on a mix of volunteers and paid staff from a variety of departments and every grade level. Anyone with a drive to work hard, an interest in journalism, and a few extra hours a week can be a part of Chimes.

“How do I get involved?”

We’re glad you asked. Write a story, take pictures of an event, or send us an idea. If you have questions or want to officially become part of the staff, come talk to us. We are in the Chimes office (located in the commons annex basement) nearly every Saturday morning starting at 9:30. If you drop by when we’re not there, feel free to leave a note. Otherwise, email us at [email protected] or message us on Facebook and we’ll get back to you as soon as we can.

Volunteer Positions

Any student can volunteer for Chimes at any time. Volunteering is a great way to gauge your interest in journalism and try it out without having to make a long-term commitment. In fact, nearly all of our staff members started off as volunteers.

Writers

The majority of our volunteers are writers. Volunteer writers can write however often they would like to, whether that be twice a week or once a semester, for any of our eight sections that interest them. Writers can expect to spend anywhere from 2-5 hours on one story, depending on the level of detail required and their interest in that subject. Bylines for volunteer writers will list them as a “Guest Writer” for their first three stories, after which they will be a “Staff Writer”.

Photographers

Our volunteer photographers typically shoot between once a month and once every two months, depending on their schedule. Assignments can range from shooting a volleyball game to simple stock photos of students reading in the library. You must have your own camera, be it a a DSLR or your smart phone, or at least have access to one. Interested photographers can contact our managing editor with questions or to get their name on our contact list. If you sign up, we will contact you when an event comes up that you can shoot. You are also welcome to shoot events, stock photos, etc. at your own discretion and send us the results.

Copy Editors

Every article we write has to go through three rounds of edits before it can be published. Copy Editors can work remotely or with us in the office. The majority of editing is done on Wednesdays, though some articles come in on Tuesdays. Copy Editors edit for grammar, content, and AP style (which we can teach you) using Google Docs editing software (which we can also teach you). Volunteer copy editors can work whenever they are available, though we prefer a regular weekly or commitment of at least 2-3 hours.

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Paid Positions

Contrary to popular belief, many staff positions at Chimes are compensated. These include the two head editors, section editors, one advertising manager, and at least six on-call writers and photographers. All paid positions are hired through an application process, but considerable preference is given to those who already have volunteer experience with Chimes.

Head editors, section editors, and the advertising manager for the next year are hired at the end of the spring semester, but on-call writers and photographers are hired on a rolling first-come, first-serve basis.  But, we’re students: people graduate, people go abroad, and sometimes openings come up mid- or second semester. If you are interested in applying for a paid position, please inquire to learn if any are currently available.

For more information on job requirements and application processes, see the job descriptions below (note: Head editors are hired from existing section editors).