Quest Editor Candidate Profiles!
Meet your 2021 Spring Candidates for Quest Editorial Board!
Photo Courtesy of Abby Durrant
Name: Abby Durrant
Pronouns: She/Her
Major/Minor: Political Science
Platform: Howdy! My name is Abby Durrant, I use she/her pronouns, and I am a freshman prospective political science major. I’m running to be a part of the Quest Editorial Board! I have been working with the Quest, as both a contributor and editor, since my first semester at Reed. You can read all of my articles online at www.reedquest.org.
I assumed the role of Quest Editor in the middle of spring semester, and have loved every minute of it. I applied for the job following another editor’s resignation, and was chosen by the editorial board to finish the term. Throughout this experience, I have learned so much about the editing process, and plan to use that experience to jump right into the position.
Below is a list of some things I plan to do or to implement through the position as Quest Editor: 1. Continue to write Senate Beat, a weekly article summarizing the week’s public Senate meeting. Through this, I have gotten to know all of the Senators, and have established a good relationship with all of them, which I would like to maintain. The relationship has been tumultuous at times, but both groups benefit from a good working partnership. I want to do this by continuing to engage in open communication and transparency.
2. Make it easier for students to contact the paper and contribute to it. The Quest is only as good as its contributors, and the more students involved the better! I want to reach out to some of the other clubs and groups on campus to do this. Students often go to groups such as the MRC and Senate with grievances and ideas to make campus better; I want to reach out to those groups to make Quest a formal way for students to air their opinions and suggestions.
3. I would like to create a part of the weekly print edition dedicated to connect students with resources. There are a lot of resources that are inaccessible to students on campus, and the Quest has a platform that can be used to make these resources more known! From organizations like the MRC to smaller clubs, there are so many ways to connect with other students, and I want to make the Quest a source for this information!
If elected, I want to truly represent students on campus and their thoughts. The Quest is a student newspaper run by students, and I want to ensure that sentiment is not lost! If you have any questions, please email me at abbydurrant@reed.edu <3
Photo Courtesy of Clarissa Lam
Name: Clarissa Lam
Pronouns: She/Her
Major/Minor: Environmental Studies - Economics
Platform: Hey all! I was an editor for the Quest during the Spring and Fall 2020 semesters. I took a break as an editor this semester after experiencing massive burnout as a result of online learning and the ongoing pandemic. Nevertheless, I kept contributing as a writer, and I'm excited to dive back into journalism and rejoin the Quest Editorial Board!
Beyond my experience with the Quest, I've been passionate about journalism for the last four years, serving as editor-in-chief of my high school paper and as a writer for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. I'd love to keep pursuing a career in journalism, but because Reed doesn't offer a journalism major or any journalism classes, the Quest is the best outlet for me to keep up my writing and editing skills.
When it comes to my goals for the Quest, transparency and accessibility are always on the forefront of my mind, especially at Reed. As an editor, I'd like to continue to build a steady flow of information and communication between systems of power at Reed (Senate, admin, HCC, etc) and the student body. During my time as an editor last year, I also advocated for monetary compensation for Quest contributors. As a student who relies on financial aid for 85% of my tuition, it's important to me that finances never restrict students from having their voices heard (because it takes time to write stories and time is money!). Overall I want to help the Quest continue to become a more diverse and accessible organization that better represents the Reed student body. Please vote for me and help me continue the work I started last year!