The Slater of the month for August 2022 is Connor Niszczak, based on his involvement this past summer and tackling more than 10 articles for The Slate’s earliest publications.
Niszczak is a sophomore Communication, Journalism and Media major, and he joined The Slate in the spring of 2022. He wanted to get involved because he had previously worked for his high school’s newspaper, and also because he was highly encouraged by other members of the paper.
Niszczak is an assistant copy editor for The Slate. As a copy editor, it is his job to ensure all the articles The Slate produces are grammatically accurate and factual. Once a story is submitted and edited by the head of the section, it goes to him.
“I then clutch my journalism bible, a.k.a. the AP Stylebook, and make sure that our stories are grammatically correct according to the rules laid out by the [Associated Press],” Niszczak said.
Niszczak explained that The Slate has given him lots of opportunities to better his skills as a journalist. Through his work at The Slate, he has become more confident in his communications classes and his work as a tutor for COM 112, a media writing course.
“It cannot be overstated how important it is for an up-and-coming journalist to learn the rules we must follow as written in the AP Stylebook,” Niszczak said. “Being a copy editor has allowed me to learn specificities that I did not know, which in turn improves my own writing.”
The Slate management staff would like to recognize Niszczak for his constant and reliable work. As Slater of the Month, the entire staff congratulates him on his success and looks forward to his continued involvement and leadership.
The Slate welcomes thoughtful discussion on all of our stories, but please keep comments civil and on-topic. Read our full guidelines here.