Student Media hires 2014-2015 student leaders

Student Media leader applicants at the special board meeting March 17. (Front) Ajita Banerjea, Chris Hart-Williams; (Second) Elizabeth Moomey, John Kovalchik; (Back) Walt Lilly, Mark Tate, Ravi Chittilla. Photo by Patrick Neal

N.C. State Student Media hired its top leaders for the 2014-2015 academic year at a special March 17 Board of Directors meeting. Seven students applied for the six leadership positions. Candidates are grouped into four categories – annual publications, newspaper, broadcast media, and business office – and are interviewed by a corresponding advisory board composed of Student Media board members and industry professionals. The advisory boards then recommend a candidate’s hiring to the full Student Media Board, who makes the final decision.

Agromeck assignments editor Elizabeth Moomey will spend her fourth year on the Agromeck staff as the annual publication’s editor. A junior in communication-media, Moomey used her application to set the theme of her year in review. “For the last two years, the theme of the book has been looking at the past and future of the University as a whole… The theme of the 2015 Agromeck will be the process,” she wrote. “I want the book to reflect the behind-the-scenes of people, events and everyday life.” Moomey also stressed the importance of adding a promotions editor to her staff as Agromeck transitions to a paid model.

Ajita Banerjea, a junior in computer science, was hired for a second term as editor of the Windhover literary and visual magazine. To combat a proposed $18,000+ reduction in the amount of student fees the magazine receives in 2014-2015, Banerjea plans to pursue sponsorship income. “I think having sponsors would truly benefit Windhover in terms of design of the magazine … so sponsorships could at least help us maintain what we have when Windhover is affected by [budget cuts],” she wrote in her application.

The 2014-2015 Nubian Message staff will be led by Chris Hart-Williams, a senior in political science. Hart-Williams plans to utilize the newspaper’s new biweekly publication schedule to allow for more investigate-type articles. “Hard news is important to me and it’s something I want to focus on as Editor-in-Chief,” he wrote in his application. “With a week or more between each issue the staff could use that time to prepare some very in depth articles. I want to push writers to work with each other and take advantages of the content that can be produced through collaboration.” In addition to his role as a Nubian Message staff writer, Hart-Williams also works as one of Technician’s assistant news editors.

Technician Assistant News Editor Ravi Chittilla, a junior in biochemistry, will assume the role of the newspaper’s editor-in-chief. Chittilla used his application to outline how he plans to increase Technician’s multimedia capabilities to move away from a longstanding print-first mentality. “The Technician needs to better exercise its resources and capabilities to allow more interaction on issues through a discussion forum medium,” Chittilla wrote. “This can either be handled by doing a better job of promoting the Facebook page, or improving the comments section on the website.”

John Kovalchik, a junior in biological sciences, was selected as WKNC general manager. Kovalchik, the current operations manager, wants to increase the station’s on-campus visibility by developing inter-campus partnerships with events like Pack-a-palooza, homecoming and Service Raleigh. “Creating partnerships and collaborations with other campus enterprises expands WKNC’s network, influence and reach,” Kovalchik wrote in his application. “These types of partnerships when mutually beneficial should be sought out and fostered.”

Student Media’s business and marketing office will be led by Mark Tate, a junior in business administration and international relations. Along with a displayed sales goal, Tate plans to “develop a separate white board where I list all of the new potential clients under each person’s name that they need to contact throughout the week,” he wrote in his application. “By visually displaying these client names to the entire office, it will eliminate the mistake of anyone forgetting to contact the potential clients.”

Each student leader will begin his or her position the day after the last day of classes in the spring semester.