Orange Media Network Advisory Board Minutes, Nov. 25, 2025

 

Board Chair Melia Castro called the meeting to order at 4:03 p.m.

 

Present:

Melia Castro, DCE
Molly Hoglund, EIC of The Barometer
Emily Dorn, proxy for ASOSU
Elijah Zeigler, proxy for KBVR-TV

Mason Fischer, EIC of Beaver's Digest
Clara Commons, proxy for PRISM

Izzy Sproba, EIC of DAMchic
Elizabeth Lopez-Carrera, CFSL

Steven Sandberg, OMN general manager and ex officio board member 

Secretary and journalism adviser Jennifer Moody, in attendance to take minutes

 

Public: Kasey Schuler, assistant editor for Beaver's Digest

 

Not present: 
Amelia Bouck, KBVR-FM

John Larison, SWLF

Jillian St. Jacques, SWLF and the program coordinator for the Applied Journalism minor

Representatives from DAS, Clubs & Orgs and Student at Large (not yet named)

 

Board members took turns talking about their area of representation. Of note: PRISM's submission deadline is Dec. 5, Beaver's Digest had a successful launch for its fall magazine and DAMchic's fall magazine comes out Dec. 5.
 

Board members were invited to give feedback on the fall Beaver's Digest (Ain't No 1950s shit) and on the November edition of The Barometer.

 

CFSL: I really liked it and read it all the way through. There are some issues with the story, "Love actually is optional." Greek life people were interviewed for this and the name of the International Fraternity Council is written incorrectly. People involved with Greek life work for you and I was shocked you didn't catch that. Also, in "Sisterhoods of the Past vs. the Present," you only talk to people in the Collective Greek Council. There's plenty of history in the Panhellenic Council, and it's misleading to only highlight one. This could have gone in a different direction. 

 

BD EIC: We had a huge issue with accessing photos. We really had to dig to get what we could. 
Assistant editor: We had a reporter attend the Go Greek barbecue to get interviews. That's where we found the sources. We didn't have time to go get more and had to cut down the story even from what we got. Another note on photos: We didn't want to include newer photos if they weren't involved in the story.

 

CFSL: Did you ask for them? 

EIC: Yes. We do have members in Greek life.

CFSL: But the topic was history. You could have come to our office. We have a whole archive. 

Assistant: I did tell the writer to do that. I should have pushed more.

 

EIC: About the typos: I hate that we have them. I can't believe we missed it. We are trying to get more eyes on the publication next time. We don't want to hurt anyone's feelings. It really does bother me.

 

Baro: Creative and beautiful, no notes. And I can relate to the copyediting issues.

 

DC: I like the combination of photos and graphics.

 

INTO: Very well-written. I just loved this.

 

ASOSU: This is the first one I've seen. I just happened to pick it up. I thought, this is so different from any other school I've been to.

 

EIC: You can all talk to me anytime, ask questions, anything. I want all the feedback.

 

EIC: We chose stories based on shelf life because we won't have a December paper. It's hard to get 15 different writers on the same page about that.

 

CFSL: I'm curious, for Fox, was he trying to link his January column to MLK Day? The staff at the Lonnie B. Harris Center would love to work with the Barometer. Jamar Bean is a great contact. 

 

Chair: For the Indigeneous Peoples story on Thanksgiving, is ina haws represented? 

EIC: Yes. I did care a lot about that.

 

Steven: What's the feedback on Page 1? Would the graphic make you stop and pick it up?
Chair: Yes, it caught my eye, and research is interesting. Racks don't seem to have many copies left. 

CFSL: The illustration caught my eye. 

TV: I would 100% pick this paper up if Trent Bray's face was part of the skybox. 

Steven: I agree; a face is more recognizable than a picture of matcha.

INTO: Having a story on research on the front page is a great idea. It's good to know what people in the building are thinking.

EIC: We're looking into whether this issue is affecting grad students and their graduations. 
BD EIC: Assistanceships are being cut out.
INTO: Many people are changing majors from a Master of Science to a Master of Engineering because of this.

 

BD EIC: I liked the multimedia aspect of using a social media screen grab for the coach story. You could have put that on page 1 and swapped it for the story on Exodus. 

 

Jennifer: The Baro will publish its first student-crafted puzzle since last year in the January issue. 

CFSL: This will make me read more!

EIC: Please email me if you have any questions.

 

Steven: Thanks to everyone; this feedback is valuable.

 

Chair Melia asked what people would like to see on the next agenda.

 

Baro EIC: I'd like more publication feedback. We'll have another issue out by the next board meeting, and DAMchic's fall magazine will be out.

Steven: Maybe we do DAMchic and broadcast?

 

BD EIC: I'd like to know what catches your eye on social media. What's working, what's not?

CFSL: I don't use it much, so I don't know.
Chair: I love that you (BD) post all the time. I see the posts all the time. I like that.
TV: Yes, I think social media is super effective. I actually found out about Exodus (OSU football player's arrest) through The Barometer. 

 

Steven: So - feedback on DAMchic and both KBVRs. 

BD EIC: And we will bring spreads. 

 

Chair: And one-minute updates again. Anything else?

 

ASOSU: I'd like to take people's pulses about a proposed ASOSU housing portal launch. If we do it, it will be late winter or early spring. This could affect OMN?

Steven: Probably because we used to put on the Housing Fair, but we haven't done that for a while.

ASOSU: We're patterning it after one used by the University of Michigan, which has listings, roommates, renter education, etc. This is not official yet. We're still talking. 

 

None. However, Jennifer reminded board members that the board is a public body and that meetings are open to the public, and therefore anything they want to talk about that shouldn't be heard by the public must be done as part of an executive session. These must be announced ahead of time and can be held only for certain reasons as outlined by Oregon law.

 

There being no further business, Chair Melia adjourned the meeting at 4:48 p.m.