When I came to Newhouse, I knew I wanted to work in journalism. As the editor of my high school newspaper, I loved nothing more than writing stories that I felt were important to tell, and as a Syracuse freshman, I was immediately drawn to The Daily Orange. Though I planned to primarily write at the D.O., when I visited the open house at the beginning of my freshman year, I found myself being talked into applying to be a Design Editor by the then-Presentation Director, Lucy. I got the job, and immediately loved it. Though I’d loved designing the newspaper in high school, I never considered editorial and newspaper design to be an actual focus and career path. At the same time, I found myself being drawn away from reporting, as, while I loved journalism, I hated doing interviews and digging for sources. I also found myself drawn to creating beautiful presentations and layouts. Of course, as anyone who decides to switch their major, I panicked. Everyone at from home knew me as, “the writer,” and they expected to see my name on bylines, not on the design desk. But after seeking advice from Lucy and several other mentors from the D.O., I decided to take the plunge and switch to Graphic Design. I haven’t regretted it for an instant. During my second semester, I took GRA 207. With my days filled with design class and my nights filled with designing at the D.O., I began to eat, breathe and sleep design. I learned and grew so much that semester, as a designer, visual communicator and person that I know I’ve found the path that I’m meant to be on. Though I also work in and love doing digital and motion design at the D.O., there are few things I love more than laying out a page, placing photos, setting type and creating a cohesive design package for a story. I hope that this class will help me have a deeper understanding and knowledge of design, how the elements that I mentioned above interact, and how I can create more elegant, thought-provoking designs through type.
