Thank you for your interest in joining The Cornell Daily Sun — we’re so excited to welcome you aboard. Our main fall recruitment sessions have ended, but click on a department below to learn more about the paper, and how you can get involved this semester.
Watch this video from 2019 to learn a little more about what we’ve done; I look forward to seeing how each of you will shape this organization moving forward.
Want to stay up-to-date on recruitment info? Fill out the form at the end of this page!
Business Team
Who we are:
While the editorial side of The Sun works tirelessly to produce our newspaper, the business team focuses on our financial needs. As an independent for-profit business, being part of the business team means protecting and shaping the financial future of the whole organization.
What we do:
Business team members work on projects, categorized into three sections: new ventures, finance, and partnerships.
The team engages in work such as quantifying the impact of COVID-19 on the business, exploring ways to generate revenue over school breaks, proposing and setting up new partnerships, and more.
To contact the Business Manager, email [email protected]
Please note, the Business Team, which manages The Sun’s finances is separate from the Money and Business Department, which covers business news.
Arts & Culture
Who we are:
You must be passionate about the arts! Or entertainment! You love many of the following: Music, theater, TV, movies, pop culture or subcultures, social media, politics, being opinionated, social justice. You are a critic, you are a fan, you are… a human.
What we do:
The Arts team engages with the Cornell and Ithaca arts communities, covering and reviewing art in all its forms. As an Arts staffer, you’d be expected to write 3 articles before November 1 to make staff; 1 of the 3 articles must qualify as an arts news piece covering the Cornell or Ithacan arts community; write 5 articles per semester; attend meetings held every other week and always respond to Slacks; participate in our recommendations and discussions surrounding art; engage in the arts community at Cornell and in Ithaca.
Additional information:
Perks of being on Arts staff, as told by the Arts department:
- A fancy Sun email.
- Access to both student artists and famous artists or musicians for interviews or features.
- Press pass: A free concert or theater ticket to an event you will cover.
- Cool friends.
To contact the Arts Editor, email [email protected]
Design
Who we are:
Welcome to the Cornell Daily Sun’s Design Department! Our department plays an enormous role in organizing and designing the visual and creative content of the Sun — both in print and online. From laying out and producing the print paper every week, to creating graphics and sketches that complement our writers’ work, we have a direct hand in curating the visuals aspects of the Sun.
Everyone is encouraged to join our department! No experience or application necessary — you just need to have an interest in any type of design! We will teach you the skills you need to excel within our department.
If you’ve got any general questions, feel free to contact the us at [email protected]!
What we do:
The Design Department is divided into the following three sub-departments: layout, production, and graphics/sketch.
LAYOUT
The Layout team directly works to design each issue of the Sun’s print paper. Every meticulous layout and colorful front page you notice on the stands are brought to you by the Layout team.
Example of our work (right):
For any specific questions about Layout, contact our Layout Editor, Kate Kim, at [email protected]
PRODUCTION
What we do:
The Production team is responsible for finalizing the production of our print paper. There are two subsets of this sub-department: Ad Layout, which prepares pages for layout staffers, and Late Night Production, which checks and submits the physical paper each print night. Members of the production team are paid for their work.
Examples of our work:
For any specific questions about Production, contact our Production Editor, Stella Wang, at [email protected]
GRAPHICS/SKETCH
The Graphics/Sketch team works to sketch, draw, and illustrate the graphic content of the Sun. If you notice any knee-slapping comics or stunning drawings in the paper — those are thanks to our talented Graphics/Sketch artists!
Examples of our work:
For any specific questions about Graphics/Sketch, contact our Graphics/Sketch Editor, Alicia Wang, at [email protected]
Dining
Who we are:
Whether you’re into food science, restaurants, or are just a self-proclaimed foodie, we want to hear from you! We publish all things food from cultural analyses to columns, from restaurant reviews to recipes. We’re excited to start cooking up new articles with you!
What we do:
You decide when you want to write — just connect it to food! We have a 3 article requirement per semester. Staffers should expect to work with a department calendar and attend monthly meetings. Excited and want to write more? Please reach out to us!
To contact the Dining Editor, email [email protected]
To contact the Money and Business Editor, email [email protected]
Multimedia Team
Who we are:
Welcome to the Multimedia Department! We are the home to all things video-related at the Sun, be it interviews, event coverage, video essays, short docs, animations, or however else you want to bring life to the Sun’s coverage of life on the Hill.
What we do:
Whatever you want to do, we want to empower you to do it.
And absolutely no experience is required. Perhaps you’ve been curious about making videos for a while now but have never dabbled. Perhaps you’ve been doing it all your life. No matter your level of experience, we want you.
And similarly, no matter your area of interest, we want you. You may see yourself as solely interested in editing, or filming, or animating, or maybe even being on camera. Or perhaps you have an idea for a series or larger project that you want to lead the editorial direction on without touching the technical side. Come. Join. Us. If there is but an ounce of passion for any of this within you, we are desperate for you to join.
As one of the Sun’s newer departments, we are subject to a lot of change. If tomorrow you want to take ‘Multimedia’ literally and think outside the bounds of video, go right ahead! We are wide open to new ideas; there are no rigid expectations to be found here.
We look forward to meeting and working with you! Check out some of our past work here.
To contact the Multimedia Editor, email [email protected]
News
Who we are:
The news department reports on a wide variety of issues ranging from Cornell’s campus to Ithaca city coverage. Publishing around six stories a night, five times a week, the news department offers comprehensive coverage of student life and important issues both on and off campus. With subsections such as BIPOC/Related, City, and Elections (when applicable), the news department is broad in its reach and offers a space for writing and reporting on a breadth of topics. We are always looking for new writers (and no prior experience or application is required!); reach out at any time to get involved!
What we do:
The news department meets once a week on Tuesday at 7 p.m. for pitch meetings, where we brainstorm story ideas! Everyone who attends these meetings can pitch ideas and pick up stories to write. We assign stories either at pitch or through the news department Slack channel (#news-compets-sp23), which every staff writer and compet should join!
Additional information:
The time commitment is whatever you want it to be! Compets are required to write four stories to become staff writers. After that, writers can contribute as often as they like. Writers are usually given at least two days to complete articles.
Here’s some of our recent work:
https://cornellsun.com/2021/02/16/cornellians-urge-university-action-beyond-anti-racism-statements/
Reach out to the news department at [email protected]. We can’t wait to meet you!
Photography
Who we are:
“As photojournalists we supply information to a world that is overwhelmed with preoccupations and full of people who need the company of images … We pass judgement on what we see, and this involves an enormous responsibility.”
—Henri Cartier-Bresson
Although this quote is from a 1997 issue of American Photo, its relevance today cannot be understated. The photo department plays a critical role in The Sun’s mission of informing the public; our images transport readers from across the globe to the latest happenings in Ithaca.
What we do:
Our photographers come from a range of different backgrounds, and we all share the same passion for visual storytelling, whether that story is a protest on campus, a festival downtown or a playoff hockey game. If you are passionate about photography and want to be an engaged member of the Cornell community, this is the department for you.
Harry Dang / Sun Staff Photographer
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Crowds hanging out on Libe Slope after classes were officially cancelled on March 13.
Michael Suguitan / Sun Staff Photographer
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Cornellians and the greater Ithaca community join the nation in protest against racist police brutality in a march from Ho Plaza to the Ithaca Police Office on Wednesday, June 3.
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A student snowboards down Libe Slope on Friday. During the first snow day of second semester, students enjoyed sledding, skiing, and snowboarding down the Slope. (Michael Wenye Li/Sun Senior Photographer)
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A lone student walks along the top of Libe Slope on Friday. (Boris Tsang/Sun Photography Editor)
Ben Parker / Sun Assistant Photography Editor
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Following his first shutout of the season, Matt Galajda won his second-ever ECAC Goaltender of the Month award. His first time receiving the honor was January 2018.
To contact the Photo Editor, email [email protected]
Science
Who we are:
The science section reports on anything science related in the Cornell community and beyond. We have writers from all types of backgrounds and majors such as biology, engineering, communications, and sustainability sciences. This year the section has also covered the ever-evolving science of the COVID-19 pandemic, covering its effects on research activities and the latest revelations about the virus. Most of the articles we publish take a scientific point of view with input from Cornell researchers and professors.
What we do:
- Science-related news
- Feature articles on professors and their research, specific research labs, or students
- Long-form/explainer articles
- “The Science Of” type articles
Additional information:
The editors: The section is run by co-editors Meher Bhatia and Tenzin Kunsang.
Time commitment:
We require staff writers to write at least 4 articles a semester, and 3 articles a semester for new writers. Time commitment is flexible as writers can write an article any time during the semester depending on their schedule. We have biweekly pitch meetings that will happen over Zoom this semester.
To contact the Science Editors, email [email protected]
Sports
What we do:
How we assign stories: Normally, everyone would have one sport per season that they stick to and write about. Given the cancellation of sports this fall, everyone can have a little more flexibility when it comes to coverage! We are happy to help writers come up with ideas about feature articles, profiles on athletes, and the like, but we also hope that writers can use their creativity to pitch ideas to us. Some of our best articles have come from writers that come to us with their own takes and ideas — this is where you have the chance to really take control of what you do with the department.
Time commitment:
New writers can expect to write ~1 article (usually around 750 words, but not always) per week, and as they learn the ropes, they can expect to receive guidance and mentorship from our editors. In addition, if you are unable to write an article for a certain week, please let an editor know beforehand. That is perfectly acceptable — we’re all busy! In all, a new writer can expect a time commitment of around a couple of hours per week.
Here are some of our popular stories:
- Men’s and Women’s Hockey Achieve No. 1 Rankings:
- Feature on Former Marine Sniper Who Walked on to Lacrosse Team:
- Feature on Women’s Hockey Goaltender Lindsay Browning:
- Feature on Walk-on Female Coxswain:
- Spotlight on WOCCA (Women of Color Cornell Athletics):
As you can see from this sampling, there is plenty to write about even when games aren’t being played!
To contact the Sports Editors, email [email protected]
Interested in joining The Sun, but can’t make it to an info session? Fill out this spring 2021 interest form here. A department head will be in contact with you soon!