Photo provided by Jade Sewell
As The Bradley Scout approaches 125 years on campus, former staff members have recalled the experiences in the office that helped shape their careers as newspaper advisers for other publications.
“The thing I remember most was the Sunday night meetings that we had with our adviser going over all the stories and [how the paper] turned out,” Illinois Press Foundation director Jeff Rogers said. “It was a really good experience to learn how professional journalism worked.”
Rogers worked for The Scout from 1986-88 as a Sports Editor. Rogers also worked at the Peoria Journal Star in the sports department during his last two years at Bradley.
When asked to consider his favorite moment while at The Scout, Rogers recalled his love for sports and getting to cover basketball.
“The Missouri Valley Tournament was in Peoria in 1988 and I got to cover that tournament,” Rogers said. “Just to be able to do that and getting to know the basketball players was pretty cool. I still think back to that time and how fun that was.”
Now working at the Illinois Press Foundation, an organization that offers state government coverage to newspapers across Illinois through Capital News as well as offers scholarships and grants to students, Rogers often uses the tips he learned in undergrad to speak to other students when giving out scholarships at high schools.
“Don’t be afraid to ask any questions,” Rogers said. “The one thing I always tell students is to ask [questions] and the source will always appreciate you waiting to make sure you understand it one hundred percent, rather than seventy percent.”
Jade Sewell, a 2022 Bradley graduate and current junior and senior English teacher at Illini Bluffs High School, described her time at The Scout as an indescribable, magical experience. Along with being an English teacher, Sewell also works as an advisor for Illini Bluffs’ newspaper, Tiger Times.
“The Scout is probably my favorite part of Bradley,” Sewell said. “I can’t even begin to explain what a dream it was to work with the people in this office and to be a part of something that I deem to be so important.”
Sewell described how she uses the same editing and storyboard template at Illini Bluffs that The Scout used for planning editions. She felt that it was a logical layout that helps her students edit smoothly.
Sewell expressed gratitude for her connections with people through The Scout. When she needed help on how to work a tool on Adobe InDesign or sports section advice, her former colleagues were always willing to help.
“The Scout in general … has helped me become a better editor,” Sewell said. “Something that I had to learn for the first time is [the question of] how do I help you improve your writing [when advising Tiger Times]?”
Kevin Capie, general manager and faculty advisor at The Vidette, Illinois State University’s student newspaper, worked at The Scout from 1992 to 1996 as a sports editor. Capie explained how this position led to postgraduate job opportunities.
“One of the things I tell my students now is to be cognizant of the connections you are making because it’s going to pay off down the line,” Capie said. “I might trade some of the late Wednesday and Thursday nights, but [the experience] was just wonderful.”
Given the journey he took to get his current job, Capie described his experience as full circle. He took what he learned and used it to benefit the position he currently holds at The Vidette and as a journalism and sports communication professor at Illinois State University.
Capie explained how he learned not to be afraid of making mistakes because he knows that they are inevitable.
“There’s a tendency that people think every word has to be perfect,” Capie said. “This is a learning experience; you want to learn what works for you and what doesn’t. I tell my students don’t be afraid to make mistakes, you know I want you to make mistakes because that’s how you learn.”
Capie also feels that the Scout taught him to step out of his comfort zone.
“It’s really easy to be safe and not want to try new things, but get out there and try it,” Capie said. “You’ll never know what you’ll find. It’s never as bad as it seems.”
Capie revealed that his favorite part about working for The Scout was being able to go to Providence in 1996 with the basketball team. He also mentioned how the staff worked together on late editing nights.
“It’s probably the same where everyone is pulling together because that deadline is going to come whether you want it to or not,” Capie said.
When asked what advice they would give current Scout staff, Rogers, Sewell and Capie each expressed gratitude toward The Scout and explained their views on why the current staff shouldn’t take it for granted.
“Take chances whether it’s you covering a story, covering a meet or doing journalism on a platform that you’re not comfortable with, try it,” Rogers said. “You never know where those learning experiences are going to take you in your career.”
Capie wanted everyone to enjoy their time in the office because it goes by quickly. The people that you meet and work with pay off in terms of friendships but also professionally.
Sewell described how college is such a small fraction of a student’s total life, yet leaves a huge impact.
“Every Thursday night where you’re banging your head against the table, be so grateful that you get to be in a room full of people who care as much as you care,” Sewell said.
