In the Fall 2000 semester, The Daily Collegian established two new professional staff positions to fortify the quality of educational experience and production of its daily newspaper.
Brad Mosier was hired as the business training specialist and Collegian alumnus Michael Palmieri ('98) was hired as the photo adviser, later re-placed by Collegian alumnus Pat Little ('77).
The Business Division designed the training position to serve as a liaison between the professional production staff and business staff members and indirectly improve the continuity of the staff's technical skills and its quality control.
According to Candy Heckard, Collegian business adviser, staff members are learning computer skills from the training specialist in a more organized and formatted fashion.
"Staff members are learning how to do it right the first time, instead of trial and error," Heckard said.
Mosier said that graphic design is not guesswork, but falls into place with the basics of knowing and understanding design principles.
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"It (graphic design) serves as a nice nucleus of knowledge to help get through developing documents with basic instinct," Mosier said.
He added, "The products displayed in the Collegian are reflecting what we talk about. Everyone is hungry for tidbits of information."
The news Professional Staff's objective focused on improving the photographic layout of the paper and implementing a more rigorous training program for photo staff members. The combination of efforts was designed to help produce a better product.
Palmieri's primary area of responsibility for the newspaper rested in educating Collegian photojournalism candidates as well as aiding John Harvey, the Collegian news adviser, in daily news-oriented tasks. In mid-February, Palmieri accepted a job with The Ames (Iowa) Tribune as photo editor.
Collegian veteran news photographer Pat Little was hired as his replacement.
In retrospect, Palmieri feels that he did not solve everything at the paper, but he did help "steer it (the Collegian) off the beaten path."
"I am pleased with the fact that we got a lot done but there is more to do," Palmieri said. "At least we got the ball rolling and it's moving on an upward angle."
Little officially started at the Collegian on Feb. 21 as a part-time training specialist and photo adviser and has continued to keep "the ball rolling."
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"I made a complete circle," Little said. "I worked as a Collegian photographer and I didn't know anything. Now, I am a professional resource for the students."
Little's focus for photo staff candidates and members is educating them with a professional perspective. He teaches from his past work and tries to make them understand the relationship between a story and a photograph.
"I get them to make their own decisions and think in the right direction," Little said. "I guide them, not show them."
Little expressed his happiness about working at the Collegian again and the educational experience that it offers to students.
"I like it (the Collegian) because of the independence it gives me," Little said. "It allows more flexibility for me to do freelance work for The Associated Press and be the resource that the students need."
He added, "I want the students to use me as a professional resource and pick my brain."
"They have the advantage of building their knowledge from somebody where there was nobody there to pass knowledge on to me," Little said.
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