More from Aaron Edwards

Former EIC Aaron Edwards ’12 just published a BuzzFeed piece on “Creating Editorial Process Before a Finished Product.” And yes, he manages to work Beyonce in there. 

‘Royals’ for Journalists

Although I didn't post anything about it at the time, I think there should be some record here of the hilarious version of Lorde's “Royals” that former EIC Aaron Edwards’12 recorded back in mid-November. The lyrics are by Washington-based journalist Adrienne LaFrance. It’s “Royals” for journalists, an entertaining take on breaking news in the digital age, and it got quite a bit of attention around the Web.
Aaron is currently associate editor at NBC News Digital’s Breaking News in New York. 

Here's the chorus:

And we’ll go viral (viral)
It don’t run in our blood
That kind of distro ain’t for us
We crave a different kind of buzz
Let me be your paper (paper)
You can fold and carry me
And baby I’ll rule, I’ll rule, I’ll rule
Let me live that fantasy

Check out the recording, along with the full lyrics.

Some High-Profile Exposure

I opened up this week's New Yorker and saw The Ithacan’s online news editor, Kacey Deamer ’13, (left) staring up at me. Disconcerting, but cool! A couple of years ago, former EIC Aaron Edwards ’12 was featured in similar ads.

Chili Fest, Team Newsday and Others

Team Newsday, from left: Casey
Musarra, Kaydi Poirier and Erin Geismar

Chili Fest last Saturday brought students flocking to The Commons — and alumni returning to town. Among those who came in for the event were our three alumni at newsday.com: former Ithacan Editor in Chief Erin Geismar ’09, now newsday.com's online community news editor; former Multimedia Editor Kaydi Poirier ’11, now newsday.com's assistant entertainment news editor; and former Managing Editor Casey Musarra ’11, now a newsday.com sports web producer. They drove up from the city with former Multimedia Editor Andy Swift ’09, now senior entertainment editor at hollywoodlife.com.

From left: Kaydi Poirier, Andy Swift,
 current Editor in Chief Kelsey O’Connor,
Aaron Edwards and Erin Geismar.

We made the rounds of chili stands (VIP tickets are the only way to go) and later ran into Aaron Munzer ’08 and   Kara Cusolito ’08. Last year’s editor in chief, Aaron Edwards ’12, was here for the weekend as well. He’s currently a news producer at Digital First Media in New York. In addition to attending Chili Fest, he spoke to a group of our feature writers on Sunday, spent some time in the Ithacan office and gave us all his cold. Thanks, Aaron.

Aaron Munzer and Kara
Cusolito

Kerry Tkacik ’12, who’s living in Queens and freelancing in Manhattan after interning at Rolling Stone last fall and graduating in December, stopped in on Friday on her way to visit her family. And former Managing Editor Deepa Shah ’06 was in town this weekend as well, although we missed each other.
One highlight of Chili Fest was watching our current sports editor, junior Taylor Palmer, compete in the  hot pepper–eating contest. He’d won the competition the past two years, but finished second this year. You can read his first-person account of the experience in this Thursday’s Ithacan.
Seeing these former students was a pleasant preview of next month’s annual dinner with the New York alumni in conjunction with the spring National College Media Convention at the Sheraton Hotel and Towers in Manhattan. Eight students and I will be attending.

Taylor Palmer competing in the hot pepper–eating contest.

Movin’ on Up

Some recent job changes among Ithacan alumni: 
Aaron Edwards ’12 is now a News Producer at Digital First Media in New York.
Charlie Ellsworth ’04 is now a Senior Advisor at Baker & Hostetler, LLP in Washington, D.C.
Lindsey Hollenbaugh Griesemer ’10 is Online News Editor at the Glens Falls (N.Y.) Post-Star.
Erica Hendry ’09 has been promoted to Associate Regional Editor for Patch.com in Virginia.
Andrew Lovell ’08 has been promoted to Associate News Editor at ESPN.
Casey Musarra ’11 is now a Multimedia Sports Reporter at Newsday on Long Island.
Jackie Palochko ’11 is now a Reporter at the Keene (N.H.) Sentinel.

Edwards Awarded New York Times Internship

At least one current senior won’t be spending the spring semester worrying about what’s going to happen to him after graduation. Ithacan Editor in Chief Aaron Edwards will be heading to the Metro desk at the New York Times on a James Reston Reporting Fellowship, covering stories for print and the Web. He’ll also have a chance to branch out to other departments at the Times, including some work in social media and video. 
“I feel humbled and blessed to have been chosen for the Times’ reporting fellowship,” Aaron said. “It’s an incredible time to be a journalist, and I’m thrilled for the chance to learn from some of the best in the industry. There’s so much exciting encouragement to end the year on a high note.”
He’ll be in good company, with IC alumni Jill Agostino ’86, Nic Barajas ’08, Nick Corasaniti ’08 and Adam Ellick ’99 already on the Times staff.

Aaron Edwards is Everywhere

Ithacan Editor in Chief Aaron Edwards has been popping up all over the place as a featured student in the college’s new “Ready” marketing campaign. Advertising featuring him has turned up in The New York Times, on Pandora and in a wide range of other media, including PIX’s website in New York. (Screenshot courtesy of Liz Crowley Pontillo ’04)