Written by Zach Dalton
For the past two years the Brackety-Ack ran under the strong leadership of former Editor in Chief Kaelyn Spickler, a member of the class of 2021. While it is odd to talk about someone else at the beginning of a Folk of ‘Noke article there is a method to the madness. This issue’s Folk, and my final interview, is the Brackety-Ack’s new Editor in Chief: Alexis Barton. She is a sophomore turning junior that is a Communications and Sociology double major from Leonardtown, Maryland. Her favorite jolly rancher is grape, she explained, “I’m just different and unique like that.”
Alexis has been with the paper since her first semester of her freshman year for the sports page. As a reporter and an editor she has written a combined total for FORTY-ONE articles! “I was immediately drawn to The Brackety-Ack when I arrived at Roanoke primarily because of my passion for writing,” she explained.
Alexis learned how to write at the ripe age of four years old (very impressive!) but when she was in third grade she began her sports writing career. “I would keep track of stats, records, and would write recaps after my sister’s basketball games,” Alexis laughed. Writing has obviously been a very large part of her life. When she was not journaling about her sister’s basketball career, writing acted “both a hobby and an outlet for me,” she said, “so I knew I wanted to get involved in journalism at the college level.” It was at an academic exploration day for the Communication department that she met Kaelyn. Alexis recalled that meeting her “made me especially interested in getting involved right away.”
In terms of plans for the future of the Brackety-Ack Alexis named a few ideas she had brewing, but her main concern is expanding the readership and being sure the paper reaches students and readers all across campus. She also emphasized her commitment to maintaining the diverse focus and inclusion set in motion by her predecessors.
One of her favorite memories at RC revolved around the paper. “Getting involved with the sports page specifically was a game-changer for me at Roanoke,” she continued, “I fell in love with the athletic department here and quickly became invested in our teams.”
At the conclusion of the interview Alexis was asked for any shoutouts she wanted to give to which she said, “I’d like to give a shoutout to Kaelyn Spickler and Garrett Ruggieri, without them I wouldn’t have had the incredible experiences of working and growing with The Brackety-Ack. I’d also like to give a shoutout to Chaplain Chris Bowen. He was one of the first people I met at Roanoke and has been one of my biggest supporters here.”
