Ava White (‘25) is set to be the new Editor-in-Chief of Luther College CHIPS for 2024-2025. White will take over from current Editor-in-Chief Peter Heryla (‘24) and Managing Editor Ethan Kober (‘24) at the end of the semester.
Currently, White works as a Head Staff Writer and part-time Copy Editor. White has been working for CHIPS since her first year when she realized she needed a change.
“I was a biochemistry major in my first year at Luther, and I was struggling with the lack of substantive writing I was facing in all of my introductory-level chemistry and biology courses,” White said. “My Paideia professor, Lori Stanley (’80), suggested that I apply for CHIPS in the hopes that it would be a fun outlet for me outside of my science classes.
From the first CHIPS meeting she ever attended — on Zoom, during the COVID-19 pandemic, — she knew she was hooked.
“I remember the state of awe I was in when I went into my first in-person CHIPS meeting at the level of knowledge and passion amongst the staff, and I knew I wanted to be a part of it,” White said.
Heryla has handed off the role to White, believing that she is the perfect fit. In addition to being head staff writer, White has previously been a staff writer, section editor, copy editor and page designer.
“Ava has essentially served as a pinch hitter during her time at CHIPS,” Heryla said. “I’ve always appreciated her flexibility and adaptability, as well as her commitment to CHIPS; whenever I’ve needed someone to pick up an extra story or make extra edits, Ava has always been one who I count on to do her job timely, professionally, and excellently. She has been an excellent role model, especially for our staff members with less journalism experience.”
Kober expects CHIPS to have a bright future under White’s direction, as he made similar remarks about White and her time working for the student publication
“I think Ava will do an excellent job in this new role as Editor-in-Chief,” Kober said. “Working with her and watching her improve throughout the course of my own time here at CHIPS has made me really appreciate her work ethic and her willingness to continue to learn in every position. She makes the most of her opportunities and is a great role model in that regard.”
As White begins to step into this new role, she reminisces about her treasured parts on CHIPS. Her favorite thing about the organization is the staff.
“Pulling a newspaper together is a collective effort that could not be done without every member of our staff,” White said. “Every week they come in willing to learn, put themselves out there, and take risks in the name of student journalism.
As for her favorite part of the job, White loves the writing process and really enjoys interviewing.
“I love having the opportunity to sit down with someone and connect over stuff they’re passionate about,” White said. “Everyone I’ve had the opportunity to speak with during my time at CHIPS has had such diverse lived experiences, and I’ve been lucky to learn from some really special people.”
White has worked on over 30 CHIPS stories over her three years at Luther. Out of all of them, she says her favorite is “Drag Performers Rule Over Convergence Ciderworks as Part of Decorah’s Pride Celebration,” a story she wrote in October 2022 with fellow CHIPS staff member Emilee Burcham-Scofield (‘25).
“[The story] was a great opportunity to bridge Luther to the larger Decorah community by having student reporters cover such a popular Decorah event,” White said. “Ethan left hilarious comments when he edited it, which is another reason I remember the story so fondly.”
Looking to the future, White hopes to continue the distinguished legacy CHIPS has long provided, while also working to launch CHIPS more into the fabric of the campus.
“I hope to continue the standard of excellence CHIPS has cultivated over the years,” White said “The publication is over 100 years old, so I hope to take it in a direction that honors all that has come before and charts an exciting path for the future.”
White also said she wants to strengthen the relationships between CHIPS and other departments on campus that the newspaper does not talk to or work with as often.
“This year we got our sports section up and running again and have started regularly covering Student Senate meetings, and I see similar opportunities for relationship building with the various branches of administration and student resource offices,” White said. “This will be especially crucial as we move forward into the first round of extensive campus renovations with CHIPS being in the unique position to disseminate information relevant to the student body in an accessible way.”
Anyone interested in working with White at CHIPS during the 2024-2025 academic year can fill out this form or contact her at [email protected].
