Volunteering with Caper Times: Q&A

Gina Martell

Who can volunteer for Caper Times?

Any literate or even some exceptional semi-literate individuals are welcome to volunteer for us.

What do volunteers do?

Our volunteers can do whatever the heck they want because we don’t pay them; however we do prefer it when they channel their efforts into writing an article that may be relevant to CBU’s student body. Illustrations and photographs are welcome as well. We may also need volunteers to help us co-ordinate our fundraisers throughout the year, so keep your ears pricked.

What kind of submissions are you looking for?

We aren’t looking for anything in particular and we’ll take just about anything – your opinions on current events, arts reviews, original poems and short stories, satire, news stories and coverage of local sports and other events, observations and musings, tips and advice, comic strips, local art and photography, etc. We publish something like 99% of volunteer submissions, so don’t be afraid of rejection! Caper Times is a paper for students, by students.

Of course, we must still abide by journalistic integrity – articles that are libellous, slanderous, distasteful in some way or just plain old garbage will not be published. If you have any questions regarding what is considered appropriate, please feel free to contact us.

When should I send in my submissions?

For our reporters, articles are due every other Monday afternoon beginning with our next edition deadline Monday September 21; however, you can submit your articles whenever you’d like and we will print them as soon as we can.

How will my articles be edited?

When editing, we correct grammatical errors, clean up the layout, double check on any stated facts or figures, screen for inappropriate content and sometimes reword clunky sentences.

Why should I volunteer for Caper Times?

Ahh yes, the big question: what’s in it for me?

1. It’s an extra bit of fluff for your resume.

2. It’s an excellent opportunity to make your voice heard and communicate with CBU students.

3. It’s a way to get involved with life on campus and make new friends – we have some seriously rad staff members and you can hang out at the Caper Times office whenever you like.

4. It’s a no pressure way to develop your writing skills, whether you’re interested in creative writing or journalism.

5. Past volunteers are much more likely to be hired on as paid staff in the future.

6. The sweet, sweet feeling of making the Caper Times editors happy – God bless our volunteers.

How do I volunteer?

Just send your work to myself (ct_editor@cbu.ca) or our editor-in-chief, Jill Ellsworth (ct_editorinchief@cbu.ca), preferably in the .doc or .docx format. You can also email us or drop by our office in the Students’ Union building if you have any other questions.

#writers #english #volunteering #jobs #employment #writeforus #joinus