Former Scholar Takes on UNC
By Morgan Howard
“Everyone has a story, it’s just waiting to be told.”
That is how rising UNC sophomore Lincoln Pennington sums up his outlook on both life and journalism. A Chuck Stone Scholar and active member of Reese News Lab, Pennington gladly shares his story with others.
Originally from Elon, N.C., Pennington was first interested in being a theater critic when he attended the Chuck Stone Program in 2011. The path changed when Pennington toured Reese News Lab during the program, and he was immediately interested.
“I don’t actually remember what they said to me, but I remember I went to Reese News and thought: okay it’s a place I could do something in,” Pennington said.
Two years later, it was clear Pennington found a place he could fit in. Reese News is made up of mostly undergraduate and some graduate students. The project began in 2010 as an online version of the Daily Tar Heel, but wanted to explore and push boundaries. Reese News Lab sets itself apart by focusing solely on digital journalism and studying how to make money for the media.
“People are really excited about this,” Pennington said. The Lab has partnerships with PBS, which allows their writers to be published on PBS’s site. Other journalism schools from around the country are also interested and are even planning to fly in for the Lab’s pitch day.
“Reese News Lab is where you can go to learn the business of journalism,” Pennington said.
Aside from the Reese News Lab, Pennington is putting his mark on campus on other ways as well.
“The first year of college is about trying to find where you fit in,” Pennington said. He is a Journalism School Ambassador, a Buckley Public Service Scholar, on the Vice Chancellor’s Student Affairs Advisory Committee and is involved in student government.
Finding the balance between all these activities and academics is what Pennington believes is the most challenging part of the newfound freedom of college.
“College is a lot harder than you expect it to be, but in a good way,” Pennington said. The various organizations Pennington is apart of also create opportunities to meet new people.
“That’s what UNC is and that’s what Chuck Stone is, it’s the people it’s the network,” Pennington said. Pennington is fond of his Chuck Stone memories and the people he was able to connect with.
“I really remember the people and what they brought to the experience,” Pennington said.