The College Fix

Two dozen former and current College Fix contributors came together in Washington D.C. recently to share stories and ideas, network, and encourage and learn from each other.

The gathering, held Thursday, attracted more than a dozen college students who contribute to The College Fix and who are interning at various news organizations inside the beltway this summer. Other attendees included past contributors who are now prominent political journalists, as well as current College Fix editors.

The event aimed to support and advise campus journalists, and to that end several short speeches throughout the night emphasized the importance of student journalists’ efforts through The College Fix/Student Free Press Association, a nonprofit organization now in its fourth year.

College Fix editor Nathan Harden, a Yale University grad and author of “Sex and God At Yale: Porn, Political Correctness, and a Good Education Gone Bad,” spoke on his time at the Ivy League school, and said he was prompted to publicize the extreme lessons and experiences he had as a student there because much of it was too shocking to ignore.

Jennifer Kabbany, associate editor of The Fix, told students the field of journalism is a noble and important career path.

“Journalism represents one of the front lines in the culture war, a very important flank that must be protected,” she said. “We need reinforcements. We need you.”

John J. Miller, chairman and executive director of the Student Free Press Association, spoke on his passion to foster a love of journalism in undergrads, and added The College Fix gives students a modern and national platform, as well as personal mentorships and valuable internship opportunities.

Keynote speaker Kyle Peterson, one of the Student Free Press Association’s first contributors and currently managing editor of The American Spectator, encouraged students to be willing to work hard to hone their skills in a variety of ways by contributing to many different news outlets – including working at daily newspapers – as they climb the career ladder.

And Justin Wilson, a former student journalist who parlayed his campus experience into his current position as a senior research analyst for The Center for Consumer Freedom, said writing and reporting are important skills to develop. He said they can be used in a variety of fields, from politics and public relations to lobbying and media. He encouraged students to stick with journalism, that his clips helped him land solid jobs.

Also on hand were Katherine Miller and Robby Soave, founding editors of The College Fix who now work at The Washington Free Beacon and The Daily Caller, respectively, as well as Andrew Stiles, an original student contributor who works as a political reporter for National Review Online. The three served as role models to students throughout the evening.

Pictures of the event have been posted on The College Fix’s Facebook page.

TOP IMAGE: Shown, from left: Student contributors James Hemphill, Jack Butler and Zenon Evans.