Love to write? Love Penn State? Love to have angry internet commenters tell you you suck? Are YOU an angry internet commenter who loves to tell Onward State staffers that they suck?

It’s that time of year again, folks. Onward State is hiring for the upcoming semester and looking for new people to join our team and help us tell the Penn State story.

Onward State is Penn State’s blog. We were founded intent on providing a combination of commentary that is fair, authentic, and sometimes humorous; analysis that is critical and irreverent; and news that is relevant and accurate.

We cover a little bit of everything that takes place on our campus, and we have a lot of fun doing it — whether it’s camping out at the airport and Champs to wait for the Jonas Brothers, traveling around the Big Ten having our hearts broken by a football team, or spending all 46 hours of THON on press row covering the world’s largest student-run philanthropic event. Take a look through our archives for a better idea about what we do.

If any of this interests you, give Onward State a try. Applications to join our team are due by 5 p.m. on Friday, January 24. This semester, we want to add a diverse range of skills, interests, and backgrounds to our staff and are looking for a little bit of everything. Penn State students of all ages are encouraged to apply — especially freshmen!

Writers

We tell the Penn State story and generate honest conversation in the hopes of enriching the university community and experience. This is done in a number of ways, but first and foremost, we are a blog. Our writers cover everything from student government and the Board of Trustees to THON and Penn State sports to why Pennsylvania is a weird state and what to wear to daylongs.

Not a Comm major? Didn’t write for your high school paper? Think AP style is a dress code for nerds in high school? No need to worry. For nearly 11 years, Onward State has been built on the backs of students of all different majors who share one common trait: a passion for Penn State.

You can teach anyone proper grammar or how to write a basketball recap. But we’re looking for people who want to start conversations, keep other Penn Staters informed, and use their words to make this university a better place. And that can be anyone, from any major.

We do have one requirement, though: You must stan the Oxford comma.

Visual Staff

From photographers to videographers to graphic designers, we’d love to see whatever you have to show us. If you think your work deserves to be seen by a wider audience at Penn State, chances are we might agree.

Eager photographers have the opportunity to shoot events and showcase the various walks of life at Penn State, whether it’s on the sidelines of a football game, on the floor at THON, or at one of the Bryce Jordan Center’s many big-name concerts like Elton John and Travis Scott.

We’re also always hoping to expand our video team to create short, viral content that can be shared on social media. Remember the ice video and the Friday Night Lights intro?

If you’re a graphic designer, we’re interested in adding some flair to our posts and social media with custom graphics and snarky featured images that make our blog unique. We especially want to work on more original visual content this semester, so we’re looking for illustrators who want to draw the Penn State story digitally (and make cool things like this).

Business

Our generous partners allow us to keep doing what we do every day, and we’re looking for stellar liaisons who can oversee our partner program and coordinate with our editorial board to make sure these relationships continue to be mutually beneficial. This is the perfect gig for a people person who believes in our mission and is excited to make some connections in State College.

Tech/Analytics/Digital/Podcasting/Newsletter/Whatever Else You Want To Do

As the media landscape continues to evolve, we’re constantly seeking help and new ideas for how we can transform our little ol’ blog into a modernized hub for Penn State news. Whether you’re an SEO specialist, like to build cool shit^TM, or just want to put the stuff from COMM 310 to good use, we’d love to add additional members of our team to transform our digital experience and make the Penn State story more accessible than ever before.

Last semester, we introduced a podcast, a bowl-game predictor, and an online student ticket exchange, so we’re constantly looking for new ways to interact with and engage our audience.

Like what you’ve heard? Consider applying today. If you have any questions, please reach out to managing editor Anthony Colucci at [email protected]. We hope to see you on our masthead!