Hello! My name is Kiana, and I’m currently a junior at DU. I am thrilled to announce that next year, I will be serving as Editor-in-Chief of The Clarion. I am an English major with a concentration in Literary Studies and a minor in Critical Race and Ethnic Studies.
When I first joined the paper, I was unsure of where I stood with journalism. I loved the way it humbled me, bringing to light how much there was I had yet to become educated on. But I struggled with how to express these narratives.
It bothered me how distant I felt from my journalistic work. To me, writing was an art you had to be involved in and get your hands dirty with. It had to scare you when the words of your making came alive beyond what you had imagined.
What was happening in our world was, of course, frightening. But newswriting, I felt, left my voice obscured and devoid of feeling. I struggled to find meaning in reporting, and I didn’t have expectations that this would change going into The Clarion.
What I found, though, was an experience that gave me freedom from being a silent actor in my creative expression. I had the opportunity to write about the issues that mattered to me most, and I had enough room as a contributor and subsequently Opinions Editor to have strong feelings about them, too. It forced me to define journalism not as an inferior form of writing, but a different one.
As a woman of color, I have come to recognize how much story lives in identity. From my work for “On the Margins,” I have spoken with such inspiring people about what makes them who they are and how they thrive in spaces that were not built for them. Journalism has become the method I can make these experiences visible.
The Clarion is the body through which I’ve found a source of connection with those both like and unlike myself. Being trusted with their stories is work that scares me, but that’s how I know I’m doing something right.
Likewise, this new position is as exciting as it is daunting. But I am hopeful that Sara and I will rise to the occasion. I am thankful that we’ve had such a supportive team of people. Without them, we couldn’t have been brought to this point.
Next year, we hope to replicate these positive experiences for as many students as possible and build a sense of community. We want to support your storytelling and push writers to find them in places they wouldn’t have looked before. Our goal is to elevate your voices, and represent you with as much integrity as possible. The Clarion deserves nothing less.
We ask that you’ll join us.
Kiana Marsan
Editor-in-Chief
