Media Writing Students Hold Vol State Press Conference

Last updated on December 5, 2024

By: Gracie Trosper
Writer

On the 10th of October at 1pm, media writing students acted as journalists, and got answers to questions from those in leadership positions at Vol State. Professor Allen Babiarz-Lira set this up as a press conference at the start of the Vol State fall semester. Dr. Wendi Tostenson, President of Vol State; Dr. Erin Mann, Dean of Humanities and Fine Arts; and Dr. Terri Day, Vice President of Academic Affairs answered the students’ questions in the TV Studio within the Ramer Administration Building.

Throughout the press conference, a variety of questions were thrown out. Common themes include the community in relation to Vol State’s role as a community college, as well as student interests and expressions with art and sports, and how Day, Mann, and Tostenson got to where they are and what they hope to see at Vol State.

With it being a press conference centered around Vol State – the college was brought up many times. It was made clear Vol State is a community college, and that the college’s purpose is to serve said community. During the conference, when asked how Vol State’s relationship with the community, Tostenson followed with this, “I think it’s actually in our name, you know, Volunteer State Community College. We are the college for the communities that we serve.”

With Vol State being a community, the school has ways to bring the community together and strengthen it. The white board on the second floor of the SRB building allows students to express themselves through their artwork. With Mann being in the SRB building, she has many opportunities to see the whiteboard and expresses her love for it, along with how attempts are made to keep it safe for all students.

Athletics also bring the community together, and Vol State has asked the community about what they would like to see. After looking at student surveys, Tostenson says the college is looking into potential sports to add such as, “volleyball, and soccer, and potentially golf and cross-country track.”

Day, Mann, and Tostenson also shared how they got to be at Vol State and encouraged students to take on new experiences in order to discover where they want to be.When asked for advice for someone going into Higher Ed, Day mentions getting experience in the field first. Day then goes on to encourage and advise others, “try to get as many experiences as you can before you try to sign on that dotted line that that’s what you want to do for the rest of your life.” Some, such as Day and Tostenson did not expect to be in education; others, including Mann, planned to be in education. Planned or not, the three are now in education and worked hard to answer the questions given to them.