Towson
ODK Application
Essays

In your mind, what personifies a leader and how do you demonstrate these characteristics?

A leader is defined by a clear, well-communicated vision and the steps they help their team take toward realizing that vision. As editor in chief of The Towerlight, I have presented a vision of an engaging, attractive, reader-focused newspaper, and I have enabled my staff to take steps toward that vision.

A leader also needs courage to make difficult decisions, intelligence to comprehend complicated issues, and integrity to act honestly and thoughtfully.

I have been grateful to receive several opportunities to develop my leadership skills. As a high school student, I attended a Hugh O’Brian Youth Leadership retreat at Johns Hopkins University and two Maryland Leadership Workshops at McDaniel College. These conferences helped formulate and develop my leadership skills. Before attending, I was a relatively shy student; after attending, I became an outgoing, ambitious leader. I have put these skills to use at The Towerlight and in other endeavors on campus.

I strongly believe that The Towerlight provides a valuable and necessary public service to the campus community. Ten thousand copies of Towson University’s student newspaper are distributed twice a week at dozens of locations on and off campus. As editor in chief of The Towerlight, I determine the direction and the priorities of the newspaper. I have taken several steps to magnify the newspaper’s impact to the community.

When I became news editor my sophomore year, I added a weekly “campus calendar” to the news section. I hoped it would help inform the campus about upcoming events. Last fall, as editor in chief, I directed the news section to run the calendar every issue. This spring, I dedicated an entire page to the calendar, and moved it to the front of the newspaper (page three).

When I became editor in chief last May, the average newspaper had 20 pages. I quickly moved to redesign the newspaper and Web site, increase the page count, meet with the campus president and every vice president, and push for a more independent relationship between the newspaper and university. The paper now averages 28 pages, including a page-long campus calendar, an expanded opinion section, a page of national and international news, and dedicated columns about music, movies, books, television and food.

As editor in chief, I have directed the staff to act as a responsible university citizen. While we must always report accurately to the best of our ability, we must also be fair and respectful of the campus community.

I believe that, using the newspaper as a tool, I have significantly impacted the campus community. By publicizing upcoming events, reporting on important administrative developments, and informing and entertaining the campus about the world around them, The Towerlight provides a vital campus resource and performs an essential public service. I feel privileged to have the opportunity to impact the campus in this way.