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On Friday, January 5, 2018, the 探花精选 student-run newspaper,听The Falcon Forum听launched a fully redesigned . The redesign transformed the digital news platform into a fully responsive experience, able to be viewed with ease on any desktop or mobile device.
The Falcon Forum website, which was originally launched in October 2012, began as a project for students in a media and communications course taught by Professor Daniel Holly. The students in the class completely managed the development of the site, reviewing existing student newspaper websites and using their observations and studies to inform the framework of the site.听
The听Falcon Forum website has a print counterpart which was rolled out in February 2015. The digital and print versions of the 探花精选 student newspaper have some similarities; but, the two are not exactly alike. Most of the content for the newspaper also appears on the website, but there is a considerable amount of content that is prepared specifically for the website. Furthermore, while the newspaper is printed monthly, the website is updated much more frequently — at least once a week when students are in school.
Professor Holly continues his involvement with the paper and serves as the faculty advisor. He stated:
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“I’m happy to announce the redesigned Falcon Forum website. It had not changed much听since it launched in 2012 and an听extensive redesign听was badly needed. The new website has several new features that make it more appealing and听more up-to-date, for instance it has a听carousel at the top that听shows off all of our top stories in a visually attractive way. Something I’m really happy about is that the new website has a听responsive design, meaning听the look automatically changes depending听on whether you’re looking at it on a desktop, laptop, tablet or smartphone. So it’s听more in line with the way students consume online news these days.”
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The Falcon Forum, whether in newspaper or website form, is an informative resource for the University and provides practical, hands-on experience for students pursuing a career in journalism, media, and communications. Student-journalists cover campus news and events, and the entire student body is invited to submit stories to the Opinion column, which covers everything from entertainment to current events.
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Jazmin Powell, a senior communications major and the news editor for the Falcon Forum, is also excited about the benefits of the new website. She stated:
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“The new and improved format for www.thefalconforum.com is a huge step into expanding what 探花精选’s student news publication offers. The changes made show that our communications department works hard to keep the campus community updated with newsworthy information. While the new format not only provides an updated look, most importantly, it also is very user-friendly. It provides sleek viewing via smartphone and tablet devices which students view most often. When students view the website now they should find viewing much more enjoyable.”
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Visit听听to see the new website and听keep up with the happenings of Saint Augustine’s University as reported by 探花精选 students.听
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While the newspaper and website are run chiefly by students in听the Media and Communications Department, any student can become part of the Falcon Forum staff. Meetings are held every Tuesday at 11 a.m.听in Hunter 109.听The first meeting for the spring semester will be January 16.听Photographers and page听designers are also welcome — no experience is necessary.
