The Sting: Newspaper & Magazine

About

The Peak is proud to serve as a voice for the students of Kennesaw State University; providing students with news, entertainment, educational, and editorial content directly related to their lives and lifestyles, via print and digital mediums.

History

The Peak is the most recent rendition of a publication written for the college students originally of Southern Polytechnic State University and now Kennesaw State University. The Peak has had a colorful history, with its first issue published in September 1948 under the name The Technician. It has undergone several name changes since then: The Engineering Technician (beginning with the issue of February 20, 1964); Whatsizname? (beginning with the issue of September 24, 1973); Southern Seeds (only one issue on October 15, 1975); Unnamed (with two issues beginning October 22, 1975); and finally, The Sting (beginning with the issue of November 5, 1975).

Consolidation & Name Change

With the consolidation of Kennesaw State University and Southern Polytechnic State University in January 2015, student publications were integrated. The Sting was consolidated with the KSU Lifestyle magazine and renamed The Peak, beginning with the September 2016 issue.

While the name has changed over the years, the dedication to scholars and their interests and lifestyle has not wavered. The Peak’s chapter has been relatively short, but great strides have been and continue to be made during the Peak’s tenure; there are great plans in place for the future and I look forward to seeing what they do.

My Experience

I took a course, Newspaper Practicum, where I was given the opportunity to create content to be published by The Sting and gain course credit hours. I picked up the August issue of the Sting to learn more about the kind of content that was accepted. However, instead of realizing how amazing the content was, I was distracted by the number of spelling and grammatical errors that were published. I contacted the Editor in Chief, at the time it was Desmond Hilson Jr, and told him about all the errors I had marked. That’s when he actually informed me that there was a position open for Lead Copy Editor and that if I was interested in correcting content then I should apply for the spot. I applied and got the position. I was the Lead Copy Editor for 3 months before I was offered the position of Managing Editor.

This was a great opportunity to show what I was made of and I jumped at it. That following spring semester I was the Managing Editor; until there was a conflict with someone trying to steal my property from the student media office and I had to file a report after an argument ensued between myself and the potential thief. I resigned from my position when I realized there was conflict and no one cared what happened to me; I couldn’t continue to be a part of a team that didn’t believe in me, especially in a time of need.

The Sting editorial board recruited new members in Fall 2015. I rejoined the board as Campus Lifestyle Editor that semester; the new Editor in Chief needed me there to play multiple roles. He wasn’t properly given guidance or instruction on how to do his position well and I gave him my knowledge from being Managing Editor the previous year. He found the information useful and gave me a position as his second in command. My section was made the main focus of our magazine since it was a lifestyle magazine “for the students, by the students”.

I spent my last year on the board updating our policy and procedures guide as per new KSU standards, hosting writing and design workshops open to all staff, attending and reporting news and campus events, sharing updates on social media about our new content, and teaching a team of writers about how to be involved, manage time, be successful, enjoy writing, learn design, take photos, and so much more. My experience with the Sting/the Peak was unforgettable.