The door to the Whetstone office

The door to the Whetstone office

By Danae Carter, The Whetstone

It takes a lot of time and effort to put together a single issue of The Whetstone, Wesley College’s independent student newspaper.

When one of the editors chooses a story, there are a few decisions that have to be made before it is considered a good story.

“A good story is one that will capture the reader’s attention and maintain it, while also producing all of the details necessary to provide a clearer understanding of a subject,” said junior Brittany Wilson, managing editor of The Whetstone. “Honestly, any story has the potential to be a good one – it’s the writing that most people struggle with.”

Junior Kristen Griffith, editor-in-chief of the Whetstone, said she chooses stories based on two criteria: how important it is, and how well reported and written it is.

“For example, I’ll pick a story about the increase of the prices in the Den over a Q&A with a professor,” she said.

Griffith and Wilson are the glue that hold the Whetstone together. But other students play a role in letting the editors know what they want published.

Sophomore Chiquita Deline said she wants to see more stories about sports.

“I do not read the newspaper much, but I do when there are stories about track and field and other campus sports,” she said.

Sophomore Quadira Minus said she likes reading the paper whenever it comes out.

“The Whetstone is a great idea and I look forward to the stories every month because I find out what goes on behind the scenes at Wesley,” she said. “The crime log is always interesting, too.”

Junior Claudette Richards said she is a faithful reader of the paper.

“The Whetstone does a good job at incorporating stories that interest the student body,” she said. “It also informs the students about information we didn’t know before reading the paper.”

Professor Victor Greto serves as the adviser for The Whetstone.

“The editors can write what they choose and do not need my approval,” he said. “I advise them only if they ask.”

Greto said he and the Whetstone’s editors have gotten many angry reactions to some stories.

“Almost every year there is someone who doesn’t like something that is in the paper or threatens to sue,” he said. “But it’s all a part of the job.”