Have you ever walked around USAO’s campus or the town of Chickasha and saw something that made you ask, “Why? How? When? Where?” Then you are on the right course. The Trend is opening positions for student writers. The Trend wants to know what interests our student body while giving them a place to grow as people and writers.

Why should you write for The Trend? Journalistic writing allows the writer to test new boundaries in writing, learn new techniques, grow in their people and interviewing skills, become more invested in personal interest and hobbies, and share exciting opinions. The Trend, however, is not all work. Another one of The Trend’s goals is to grow a tight-knit community and build relationships campus wide.

“It’s a great outlet for those who want writing experience of any kind, plus it’s paid,” said Daniel Buster, The Trend‘s editor-in-chief.

Another incentive, aside from personal growth, is the payment for written stories. Payment is based off the story’s word count. For an article of 200 words or less the writer will earn $10. An article with 200-399 words will earn $15; for a story with 400-599 the writer will be paid $20. For a lengthy, 600+ word article the writer will earn $25. When submitting an article, it is highly encouraged to include a photograph, which is an extra $5 earned.

While writing for The Trend, you will build relationships with the senior staff, including the managing editor and editor-in-chief. The team of editors will assist with photo and story ideas, grammatical edits within your article, and helping you build a clear, concise story.

“The relationships within the staff are some of the strongest you’ll ever have. We all work together to create content, but we also pick each other up,” said Harrison Stone, managing editor for The Trend.

If you are interested in writing for The Trend, it is a super easy process. You can either write an article and send it to The Trend’s email or walk into The Trend‘s office and start asking questions. The team of editors are excited to work with new writers and see what stories are written.

“My biggest advice is to let loose and have fun. No one is grading you. This is one of the few chances to let your creative side take over,” said Stone.

Emily Loughridge is a second-year Communication major at the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma.