When
Elinor Tatum '93 worked on The
Hill News, St. Lawrence’s student newspaper, in the days
before computers were common, she learned old-fashioned paste-up (“with
an X-acto knife and wax,” she recalls). As both a campus journalist
and a student government senator, she learned parliamentary procedure.
Going on tour as a member of the Laurentian
Singers, she learned how to handle new situations. In these and
many other pursuits at St. Lawrence, she learned to work with
people.
This all came in handy when she joined the The Amsterdam News, the
oldest continuously-published black newspaper in New York City, a
year after graduating. “I learned how to juggle a schedule,
get access to people, meet deadlines and manage others, all of which
I do now,” says the head of the nation’s oldest continuously
minority-owned newspaper; she is ultimately responsible for
every aspect of the paper’s operation.
Among other fond memories of St. Lawrence, Tatum cites studying
for finals at a nearby scenic waterfall; going to Ottawa, Canada ’s
capital, for coffee; and writing a paper on St. Lawrence’s
first graduate for a history course that taught her to use primary
sources – another critical skill for a journalist. Her sorority
sisters have remained among her closest friends, she adds.
When asked what advice she would give aspiring journalists, Tatum says, “Gain
as much experience as possible. Get involved in college publications.
Get an internship. Find
a small-town weekly or neighborhood paper to write for. Acquire bylines.” Her
own career is an example.
Amazing
Alumni