In a world where digital media grows louder and louder each day, one student-run newspaper has been quietly printing Rowan’s story for nearly a decade. The Whit has been running since 1938, providing students with updated news reports concerning on-campus affairs, as well as occurrences within Glassboro. Ran by students, The Whit gives those passionate about journalism a chance to enhance their writing and reporting skills alongside like-minded students. Beyond their digital newspaper, which offers an extensive amount of articles each week, their print copy is released every Thursday throughout the semester. This version can be found in academic buildings and amongst numerous retail stores on Rowan Boulevard, such as Ry’s Bagels! Earlier this month, I had the opportunity to interview the Editor-in-Chief, Beth Cimaglia. Beth is a journalism major with a minor in sports cam who has been working with The Whit since the 2024 Spring Semester. Keep reading to learn about The Whit’s goals and how you can get involved!

Q: Nice to meet you, thank you for meeting with me today! Could you briefly introduce yourself for those who may not be familiar with who you are and the part you play in The Whit?

A: My name is Beth Cimaglia, I am a 23 year old senior journalism major, sports cam minor. I am currently serving as Editor-in-Chief for the 2025-2026 year, but previously I served as Arts and entertainment editor, and before that, I was a staff writer! I’ve been with the Whit since Spring 2024, and how I joined is kind of a funny story. I was previously a PR/AD major and on a whim, I decided to take news media literacy with Professor DiUlio. He urged me to join the whit, to which I said “Why would I do that? I’m a PR major.” Fast forward through a lot of twists and turns and soul searching, I decided to come to a meeting after a TA and former News Editor gave us a tour of the room. The rest is history. I joined because I loved to write. I stay because of the people and the mission.

Q: Sounds like you are well-experienced in the realm of newspaper journalism. This “mission” that you mention sounds intriguing! What would you consider to be The Whit’s “mission statement?" Are there any overall goals or values that have kept The Whit alive for so many years?

A: The Whit doesn’t necessarily have a specific mission statement that is unique to the Whit. What it does have, is the Society of professional journalist’s code of ethics, which all journalists (at least, all ethical ones) live by. We believe in reporting the truth, minimizing harm, and holding power accountable, to name a few. As far as our staff goes, accountability, respect, personal responsibility, timeliness, are all things I have written on our board in our newsroom. We live by those values.

Q: Working alongside fellow students who have a passion for journalism sounds super fulfilling, especially when you all respect each other's work and time. As Editor-in-Chief, what does your average day look like working with The Whit?

A: As Editor-in-Chief no two days are the same, except for Whit Wednesdays, which are our meeting nights. I have my classes until 1:45 and then I head home to rest and eat. I usually get over to our office by 3:30 and start giving articles the final look over and publishing things. Then we have our meeting with our advising professor, Professor DiUlio, where we discuss all the content going in that week, ask questions, and brainstorm ideas. After that, the meeting starts around 5-5:15 and I start with announcements. After those we typically head straight into pitches, which is when each section editor explains all the stories available that week. We open the board, and writers can take whatever stories they want. After everyone clears out for the night, the editors stay behind to work on the page layout in Indesign. We’re usually there until 11:00 or 12:00. 

Q: You are truly dedicated staying up that late on hump-day! The time and energy you and other staff writers put into the paper truly shines through in each publication. If other students are passionate about journalism and wish to report for The Whit, what is the best way for students to get involved? When and where do you host your meetings?

A: Students can get involved in two ways. They can come to the Wednesday night meetings in 108 Bozorth, or they can message us on social media and myself or one of the staff members can send them our group me, where we post all the available stories. We have a good chunk of fully remote writers who can’t make it to the meetings. They rely fully on our GroupMe! 

Q: What an amazing, accessible journalism opportunity! In terms of publication content, what types of submissions do you guys accept? What is the typical submission process to be featured in The Whit?

A: We don’t work like a literary magazine where you submit your work randomly for approval. As a newspaper, topics need to be timely and meet a certain standard. They need to be written in AP style, have at least three interviews that the writer conducts themselves, and be on a timely Rowan or Glassboro related topic. The topic also needs to be discussed with or given out by our editors ahead of time. We run and function like a regular newspaper. The only more flexible section would be Opinion. We accept what’s called “letters to the editor” which are basically just letters sent in by members of our community, alumni, or students, about a timely Rowan issue that they believe needs a light shed on. 

Q: I admire how important reporting on news in a timely manner is for The Whit. It is clearly representative of the group's dedication to providing students and the greater Glassboro community with relevant, timely information. When it comes to the future of The Whit, what do you see? Is there a specific type of writing genre or publication type you hope to see more of over the upcoming years?

A: The future of the Whit… I personally hope our print publication and in-person newsroom never dies. But I know that’s naive— the world is changing. Most professional newsrooms are either mostly remote or fully remote now, and printed newspapers are scarce. I guess my hope would be that the Whit always remains true to its values, in the newsroom or at home. We keep it human-written, keeping AI as far away from the newsroom as possible, and we stay true to our ethical values. I hope we remain a welcoming space for all students. And, lastly, I hope we continue to hold this university accountable by boldly reporting the truth and asking difficult questions.

The Whit is an incredible opportunity for aspiring journalism students to get involved not only with on-campus news but also to build a deeper connection with the Glassboro community as a whole. Writing is the gateway to community outreach and spreading messages that would otherwise be silenced. Whether that be through creative writing or news journalism, all writing creates an impact, no matter how big or small. Take it from Beth herself, who channeled her passion for writing and became part of something bigger than herself. So, now is your chance to step into The Whit’s newsroom on any given Wednesday and find the heart of Rowan’s student journalism hard at work. The Rowan community is privileged to have such a strong, up-to-date student newspaper, and it is in our hands to uphold this quality!