Vodacom’s R29-billion Please Call Me headache

Staff Writer13 May 2024

Vodacom highlighted in its annual results that a Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) majority judgment would entitle Please Call Me idea-man Kenneth Nkosana Makate to R29 billion.

The legal battle between Makate and the mobile operator started in 2008.

Makate claimed compensation for coming up with the idea that led to Vodacom developing a service called “Please Call Me” (PCM) while he was a trainee accountant at the mobile operator.

He sent a memo to a superior with the idea to “buzz” someone else’s phone without airtime in November 2000. Vodacom launched Please Call Me in March 2001 and thanked Makate for coming up with the idea in an internal newsletter.

In July 2014, the Gauteng High Court ruled that Makate had proven the existence of a contract. However, Vodacom was not bound by that contract.

Makate appealed the High Court ruling, but the High Court and Supreme Court of Appeal (the SCA) turned down Makate’s application for leave to appeal.

He then took the matter to the Constitutional Court, which found that Vodacom was bound by the agreement.

It ordered the parties to negotiate, in good faith, and agree to a reasonable compensation amount payable to Makate.

In the event of a deadlock, the matter was to be referred to Vodacom Group’s Chief Executive Officer for determination.

After negotiations failed, Vodacom CEO Shameel Joosub offered Makate R47 million. He rejected this offer.

Makate then brought an application in the High Court for judicial review against the CEO’s determination and award.

On 8 February 2022, the High Court set aside the CEO’s determination and ordered him to reassess the amount.

Vodacom appealed against the judgment and the order of the High Court to the SCA. On 6 February 2024, it dismissed Vodacom’s appeal.

The SCA ruled that Makate is entitled to be paid 5% to 7.5% of the total revenue of the PCM product from March 2001 to the date of the judgment, plus interest.

On 27 February 2024, Vodacom applied for leave to appeal the SCA judgment to the Constitutional Court. Makate is opposing Vodacom’s application.

Vodacom is challenging the SCA’s judgment and order on various grounds, including:

• The SCA ignored the evidence presented regarding the computation of the quantum of compensation payable to Mr Makate.
• The SCA issued legally unenforceable orders.

To put Vodacom’s contingent liability related to the Makate matter in context, the SCA majority judgment would entitle him to a minimum compensation amount of R29 billion.

These are orders of magnitude higher than Joosub’s offer of R47 million and the minority judgment of the SCA of R186 million.

“Consequently, the range of the possible compensation outcomes in this matter is very wide,” Vodacom said.

The amount ultimately payable to Makate remains uncertain and will depend on whether the Constitutional Court grants Vodacom leave to appeal.

“Vodacom is continuing to challenge the level of compensation payable to Makate, and a provision immaterial to the financial statements has been recorded,” Vodacom said.

Vodacom and Makate reopened negotiations for an out-of-court settlement earlier this year.

Both parties told MyBroadband that the negotiations were confidential and they could not disclose any details about them.

 The Most Successful Startup Founders Have These Skills (and Hire for the Rest)

New research shows the most successful startups have technical founders who quickly hire business-minded teammates.

BY JORY MACKAY

---

"Business guy seeking technical co-founder."

Spend any amount of time at meetups or startup events and you're sure to meet more than a few entrepreneurs with big product ideas but no idea how to build them. And while there are more than a few successful companies with nontechnical founders, new research has shown they're exceptions to the norm.  

When you're starting a business venture, the founding team shapes everything from the product to the brand, voice, and culture of your company. As Apple founder Steve Jobs said:

When you're in a startup, the first 10 people will determine whether the company succeeds or not. Each is 10 percent of the company. So why wouldn't you take as much time as necessary to find all the A-players? .... A small company depends on great people much more than a big company does.

But what exactly do these A-players look like? In a recent paper, researchers Martin Murmann and Bettina Müller report on what they discovered to be the exact skill sets on the founding teams of successful startups.

What they found was that the most innovative companies all start with technical founders who quickly hire business-minded people.

What's even more interesting is that the reverse scenario--a business-focused founder hiring a technical co-founder--didn't yield the same sort of results.

The top skills nontechnical founders need

If you're building a product or service, it only makes sense that you need to understand how you're going to actually build it, rather than just how to sell it.

In my own experience working with early-stage and well-established startups, I've seen this theory in action.

Startups that leaned too heavily on the leadership of nontechnical founders had trouble hiring good engineers and executing on a clear product development plan. More technically minded founders were able to balance keeping the product development on the right path and bringing in business-minded co-founders to help find product-market fit.

What the paper's authors propose is that it comes down to the hierarchy between idea and execution. Place too much emphasis or importance on the initial idea, and your venture is more likely to fail. Or as CDBaby founder Derek Sivers explains in a blog post:

To me, ideas are worth nothing unless executed. They are just a multiplier. Execution is worth millions. The most brilliant idea, with no execution, is worth $20. The most brilliant idea takes great execution to be worth $20 million.

Does this mean you should simply abandon your idea if you don't have the technical skill to build it? No. But it does mean that as a nontechnical founder you need to be especially careful in how you build your team early on.

Don't try to hire a technical co-founder without understanding what you need

As the researchers suggest, you can only hire A-players to your team if you understand what they need to be doing.

For example, if you're building software and don't know a line of code or even the basics of software development, you're going to have a hard time successfully hiring someone to do that.

Instead, nontechnical founder Rahul Varshneya says, you should invest in building your vision yourself, in the place of just searching for someone to take orders:

Rather than spending time searching for a technical co-founder, take the time to invest in building your first version. Through the journey, keep a lookout for the right person to bring on your team. Quit trying to hire a technical co-founder just so you can build your product for free!

Ditch the high-level spiel for specific plans

High-level business spiels have their place, such as when you're raising an early round of funding or trying to bring on partners. But when you're working with engineers, they want specifics.

Invest in the time to create detailed use cases or functional specifications documents. Or create screen-by-screen mockups of how you see your product working. There are tons of great and easy-to-use resources for this, such as InVision, Marvel, or Adobe XD.

Hire people you trust (and let them do their work)

As a nontechnical founder, it can be difficult to let go of control when it comes to your engineers. But don't fall into the trap of micromanaging them simply because you don't know what they're doing exactly. As Varshneya explains:

You don't want to lose respect and neither do you want to lower the efficiencies of your team.

Instead, set up a clear process of communication and delivery between you and the tech team. Do a daily standup to get an idea of what's being worked on, the challenges that are coming up, and what milestones they're working toward. The goal is to be a partner in the process, helping guide them where you can but not getting in the way of technical work being done.

This article was originally published in the original United States edition of Inc. or on inc.com and is the copyright property of Mansueto Ventures LLC, which reserves all rights. Copyright © Mansueto Ventures LLC.

 

William Ruto: Kenya's 'hustler-in-chief' president

Nairobi (AFP) – Incoming Kenyan president William Ruto has clawed his way to the top as the nation's "hustler-in-chief", playing on his religious faith and humble beginnings selling chickens by the roadside.

Issued on: 13/09/2022 - 05:48Modified: 13/09/2022 - 05:46

3 min

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Although one of the richest men in the country and dogged by corruption allegations for years, the fiercely ambitious Ruto portrayed himself as the champion of the poor and downtrodden during the August 9 election campaign.

He won a narrow victory over the veteran opposition leader Raila Odinga, despite running as the effective challenger after acrimoniously falling out with outgoing President Uhuru Kenyatta who backed his rival in the closely-fought race.

"In becoming Kenya's fifth president, William Ruto symbolises determination to overcome the odds," Kenyan historian Macharia Munene said in an opinion piece for The Standard newspaper on the eve of his swearing in.

Ruto, who served as deputy president under Kenyatta for almost a decade, has pledged to reach out to his rivals in the deeply divided country, and tackle its deep economic woes and endemic corruption.

"There is no room for vengeance," the shadowy rags-to-riches businessman said after being declared president-elect in his first bid for the job.

He had described the election as a battle between ordinary "hustlers" struggling to put food on the table and the elite Kenyatta and Odinga "dynasties" that had dominated Kenyan politics for decades.

"We want everyone to feel the wealth of this country. Not just a few at the top," Ruto had said as he criss-crossed the country promoting his "bottom-up" economic plan.

Effective strategist

The outgoing president did not publicly congratulate Ruto until the eve of his inauguration, which takes place Tuesday, after the 55-year-old had backed his boss in the previous two elections with a promise he would have Kenyatta's backing this time around.

Their now fractured alliance was a marriage of convenience forged in the aftermath of deadly post-poll violence in 2007-2008 that largely pitted the Kikuyu -- Kenyatta's tribe -- against the Kalenjin, Ruto's ethnic group.

Both men were indicted by the International Criminal Court (ICC), accused of stoking the ethnic unrest that left more than 1,100 people dead.

The cases were eventually dropped, with the prosecution complaining of a relentless campaign of witness intimidation.

But Ruto was left out in the cold after Kenyatta shook hands with longtime foe Odinga in a dramatic switch of political allegiance in 2018.

He bounced back with a campaign that was directed as much at Kenyatta as his rival at the ballot box, blaming the government for Kenya's economic woes and even accusing the president of threatening him and his family.

Clad in the bright yellow of his United Democratic Alliance, whose symbol is the humble wheelbarrow, Ruto sought to reach out to those suffering most from the Covid-induced cost-of-living crisis that has been aggravated by the war in Ukraine.

"He succeeded in penetrating and vanquishing the collegiate club partly because the dynasties disdainfully underestimated him," wrote Munene.

'God has been kind to me'

Observers attribute Ruto's aggressiveness to the fact he has had to struggle to get everything he has achieved in life from his lowly start in Kenya's Rift Valley, the Kalenjin heartland.

"I sold chicken at a railway crossing near my home as a child... I paid (school) fees for my siblings," he once said.

"God has been kind to me and through hard work and determination, I have something."

His fortune is now said to run into many millions of dollars, with interests spanning hotels, real estate and insurance as well as a vast chicken farm.

A teetotal father of six who describes himself as a born-again Christian, Ruto seldom lets a speech go by without thanking or praising God or reciting from the Bible.

He first got a foot on the political ladder -- and detractors claim, access to funds -- in 1992.

After completing studies in botany, he headed the YK'92 youth movement tasked with drumming up support for the autocratic then-president Daniel arap Moi, also a Kalenjin.

In 1997, when he tried to launch his parliamentary career by contesting a seat on his home turf of Eldoret North, Moi told him he was a disrespectful son of a pauper.

Undeterred, Ruto went on to clinch the seat, which he retained in subsequent elections.

His detractors say he siphoned money from the YK'92 project and used it to go into business, and allegations of corruption and land grabs still hang over him.

But he has long dismissed such claims, once telling local media: "I can account for every coin that I have."

© 2022 AFP

 

NEWS

‘We never pray for kids to bec*me hustlers’ – Mutahi Kagwe criticizes Ruto’s hustler slogan, taxation policies

Monday, March 11th, 2024 16:56 | By

Achieng' Mary

EX Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe. PHOTO/MoH/Facebook

    

Ex-Health Cabinet Secretary (CS) Mutahi Kagwe has taken a swipe at the Kenya Kwanza regime over its taxation policies.

Addressing a crowd in Tigania East over the weekend, the former minister criticized the government's recently proposed Farm Produce Tax terming it as an ill-advised taxation policy. Kagwe defended his opinion saying farmers should make profits before being taxed.

The former CS also castigated Ruto's increased tax measures saying it was causing a strain on already burdened Kenyans who were struggling to survive the lean times.

“One can not pay tax from what they have sold, as it is not profit, they should pay tax from profit and not the 30 per cent of sales as stated in the proposed tax," Munya said.

Kagwe also criticized President William Ruto's Hustler Nation slogan saying it was time that the narrative was thrown out of the picture and the purpose of education reinvented to move the country from a hustler nation to a wealthy and working nation.

Defending his sentiments, the former CS further alluded that, unlike Ruto's hustler slogan which advocated for a hustling nation, his tradition championed for children to become leaders, warriors and wealthy.

"Wanakuja kusema tax people before they earn money, you tax people before they earn and that is why the purpose of our education must be now going forward to move the Kenyan nation from one of hecklers and hustlers to one of working. Sisi watu wa mlima Kenya tukiombea mtoto tuamuombea tunasema may he/she become a worrior (jamba), wealthy (gitonga) or a leader (mutongoria). We never pray that he/she becomes a hustler," he said.

In the same breath, former Agriculture CS Peter Munya told off the government over the proposed taxation saying it was unrealistic to tax farmers before they made a profit.

He echoed Kagwe's sentiments saying the ruling regime should have presented structures and procedures to assist farmers increase output before taxing them.

Farm Produce Tax

The recently proposed taxation policy which targets all Kenyan farmers will see each farmer pay a withholding agricultural produce tax of not more than 5 per cent of the value of the produce delivered to the market.

This, according to Treasury CS Njuguna Ndung'u, means that farmers will pay Ksh5 for every Ksh100 sales obtained.

CS Ndung'u defended the policy stating that the agricultural sector was undertaxed despite being the highest employer compared to other sectors.

“The Kenyan economy is dependent on the agricultural sector, contributing an average of 21.2% of the GDP and the highest employer compared to other sectors,” the CS said.

A section of leaders have come out to criticize the policy saying it will hurt farmers and that the government should reconsider the move before implementation.

FOR THE HUSTLERS EVERYWHERE

 

Israeli ambassador to U.S. and former Palestinian prime minister visit Vanderbilt

Ambassador Michael Herzog’s visit to other locations in Nashville sparked protests by Nashville Jews for Justice, whose members include Vanderbilt students.

Kasey Kautz

Vanderbilt pedestrian bridge across 21st Ave., as photographed on Sept. 26, 2023. (Hustler Multimedia/Kasey Kautz)

By Brina Ratangee, News Editor

APRIL 5, 2024

Salam Fayyad, former prime minister of the Palestinian Authority, and Michael Herzog, Israeli ambassador to the U.S., visited Vanderbilt last week to speak on their experiences in government and the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. Herzog also visited other locations in Nashville, which sparked protests by Nashville Jews for Justice outside a nearby synagogue.

Fayyad served as prime minister of Palestine from 2007 to 2013, during which he focused on infrastructure and institution-building to work toward Palestinian statehood. He currently serves as a distinguished fellow in the Brookings Institution’s Foreign Policy program and a visiting senior scholar at the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs.

Herzog, a retired Israel Defense Forces brigadier general, has served as Israeli ambassador to the U.S. since 2021. He previously held roles as chief of staff and senior military aide to Israel’s minister of defense, as well as International Fellow of The Washington Institute for Near East Policy. 

Conversations on campus

Fayyad and Herzog were invited guests of Associate Professor of Political Science Brett Benson’s class “Introduction to International Politics.” Fayyad also spoke with the Vanderbilt Project on Unity and American Democracy student advisory board and Open Dialogue ambassadors on March 27, while Herzog further met with members of Vanderbilt Chabad and Hillel on March 28. 

Sophomore Max Perry, an Open Dialogue ambassador who attended both sessions, identified the lunch with Fayyad as “one of the most meaningful conversations” he has had. He said Fayyad discussed, among other topics, his administration’s priorities of building hospitals, schools and other infrastructure in the West Bank.

“[Fayyad] answered tough questions, but he also provided a narrative that not a lot of people get to hear. That’s one of the values that Vanderbilt creates — to go to college, to explore your views, but also to be given perspectives you might agree with or you might disagree with,” Perry said.

Reflecting on the Chabad event, Perry shared that Herzog described the events and aftermath of Oct. 7, 2023, as a “national crisis” and spoke on the ongoing global “war of narratives.” Perry further identified common ground between Fayyad and Herzog’s narratives.

“Both Fayyad and Herzog at least one time spoke about how they want peace and how they want for people to be safe,” Perry said.

Engagement across Nashville

During his visit to Tennessee, Herzog also met with Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee and, on March 29, visited Congregation Micah, a reform synagogue in Brentwood, Tennessee. 

“Honored to meet with Israeli Ambassador to the U.S., Michael Herzog, to share Tennessee’s unwavering support for the Nation of Israel amid unspeakable persecution,” Lee said in an April 2 Instagram post.

Herzog’s visit to Congregation Micah was protested by Nashville Jews for Justice, whose members include Vanderbilt students. In a press release shared with The Hustler, the group expressed “dismay” over Herzog being invited to speak on behalf of their community.

“The conflation of Zionism and Judaism fuels antisemitism and violence against all Jews. We do not agree with the Zionist rhetoric that Israel is acting out of self-defense, and we stand firmly with the Palestinian people and their right to freedom,” the release reads.

• dialogue vanderbilt
• Israel-Palestine Conflict

 Around 21.5 hours after it began, the sit-in inside Kirkland Hall over students’ ability to vote on the VSG BDS amendment ended at approximately 6:34 a.m. CDT. Two students left at various times last night due to medical or family emergencies, while the remaining 25 students forcibly left — with three being arrested — this morning after being woken up and escorted out by VUPD officers. 

The rundown:

• All 27 protesting students have left Kirkland Hall. Two left during the night due to medical emergencies and the rest were escorted out by VUPD at approximately 6:34 a.m. CDT. Three students were arrested, but one student had their charges dropped.
• Last night, one student protesting outside was arrested after officers saw a shattered window at the building. Another student protesting inside, who had not been suspended, left due to a family emergency.
• Students plan to continue protesting outside Kirkland until their demands are met.
• At 9 a.m. CDT on March 26, a group of 27 undergraduate protestors from the Vanderbilt Divest Coalition rushed into Kirkland Hall. The students are calling for the administration to allow the student body to vote on an amendment to the VSG Constitution that would prevent VSG funds from being used on the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement’s boycott targets.

UPDATED: March 27, 2024, 8:21 a.m. CDT

The students who were arrested this morning were taken to the Downtown Detention Center by MNDP, according to police records. Three students — senior Devron Burks, first-year Jack Petocz and sophomore Samuel Schulman — were arrested for assault and bodily injury to another, which is classified as a misdemeanor. Petocz is being held at a $2,000 bond, while Schulman and Burks are being held at a $1,000 bond. VDC is asking supporters to donate to their bail fund.

The Hustler reviewed the video released by Vanderbilt administration of students rushing into Kirkland Hall and identified the three students arrested. Schulman and Burks can be seen at the front of the group walking forward to enter Kirkland Hall as the officer attempts to stop them. Petocz can be seen near the back of the group, and does not appear to touch the officer. The officer can be seen shoving Schulman against the door. 

Schulman told to The Hustler that the officer put his hands on his and Burks’s necks and that neither he nor Burks put their hands on the officer. The Hustler could not verify this claim due to blurring added to the video released by Vanderbilt administration. The university did not immediately respond to The Hustler’s request for the original, unblurred video.

The student who was arrested on the night of March 26 — being kept anonymous for protection from professional retribution — is currently being held in the Downtown Detention Center without bond for 12 hours, which will expire at 1:30 p.m. CDT today. Their charges are unlisted.

March 27, 2024, 7:42 a.m. CDT

In total, 11 of the original 27 protestors inside Kirkland Hall have not received interim suspension notices as of publication. Of the 16 that received interim suspensions, only three were arrested. Protestors being kept anonymous for protection from professional retribution who participated in the sit-in confirmed that the three arrested students were zip-tied when detained by VUPD and taken in a police vehicle to a police precinct off-campus. It is currently unclear if the students were taken to a VUPD or an MNPD vehicle and precinct. 

The protestors state that they are unsure why only three of them were arrested and were originally under the impression that all were going to be arrested for trespassing. Police grabbed the sitting protestors around 5:30 a.m. CDT and told them that they were trespassing. Protesters state that police arrested three students for assault inside and took pictures of everyone’s IDs. In video footage reviewed by The Hustler, officers can be holding the rest of the protestors’ hands behind their backs as they steered them outside. Protesters can be seen asking officers where they will be taken and receiving no response. One student was warned that they could be arrested for “interfering with police business” if they did not leave. 

Student protestors congregate outside Kirkland Hall after those sitting-in inside were forced to leave (Hustler Multimedia/Josh Rehders)

The Hustler and external press were not allowed inside Kirkland Hall for the duration of the sit-in.

In addition to the protestor who voluntarily left the building at around 10:45 p.m. CDT for a family emergency, another student voluntarily left the sit-in at around 2 a.m. CDT to seek medical care. The protestor who was said to have been experiencing symptoms of toxic shock syndrome did not leave until forcibly removed. 

After those who were sitting in left Kirkland Hall, a crowd that has been continuously rallying outside began chanting on the steps of the building at around 7:10 a.m. CDT, stating that they will not leave until their demands are met. A few of those sitting in joined the rally when forcibly removed from the building. 

The Hustler obtained video footage from inside Kirkland Hall taken at 7:44 p.m. CDT on March 26 that depicts Senior Advisor to Student Affairs Randy Tarkington warning students formerly inside Kirkland Hall that not abiding by the policies of interim suspension could affect them in their eventual Student Accountability hearing. Tarkington reports indirectly to Chancellor Daniel Diermeier and said he was tasked with talking to the protestors due to having “a lot of experience with protests.” He claimed he had “no knowledge” of the status of Vanderbilt allowing the VSG BDS referendum and did not agree to protestors’ demands that he send their demands up to other Vanderbilt leaders. 

“I can’t give you a guarantee about what’s going to happen. If I could, I would,” Tarkington said. 

Tarkington emphasized the importance of an unnamed student protestor accessing medical care and food. 

At the time, the students emphasized to Tarkington that they were intent on staying in Kirkland Hall, chanting “We’re not leaving.” Tarkington left the scene during the chants.

This breaking piece will be updated as more information becomes available.

FOR THE HUSTLERS IN S.A

 FOR THE HUSTLER EVERYWHERE

Dear Vanderbilt,

Happy New Year! As we approach a new semester, I am very excited to continue my work with The Hustler and build a close relationship with the Vanderbilt community. In my sixth semester as a Vanderbilt student, I look forward to my favorite Vanderbilt traditions like Rites of Spring, spring VandyBoys games and sitting under the blooming trees across campus. Most of all, I am honored to lead The Hustler as Editor-in-Chief. 

I knew I wanted to join The Hustler weeks before setting foot on campus. As a bright-eyed, first-year Staff Writer, I covered campus dining, Nashville concerts and student performances, as well as interviewed administrators, student authors and sexual assault survivors. My first home on campus was the newsroom. Writing about my favorite things, like pumpkin spice lattes and fashion trends, allowed me to give my hobbies a direct purpose. I fell in love with lifestyle reporting, later serving as Life Editor during my sophomore year. I most recently served as Managing Editor, a role in which I established general body meetings for our 200-person organization and led recruitment efforts, meeting with new staffers buzzing to join The Hustler, just like I once was. If this sounds like you, fill out our interest form here, and attend a general training session on either Jan. 10 or Jan. 16 at 6:30 p.m. CST at Buttrick 206! Now, I’m excited to work with the Vanderbilt community as Editor-in-Chief. I’m particularly looking forward to meeting with as many student leaders as possible. I’ve participated in a wide variety of activities during my time at Vanderbilt — from club sports to crafting groups — and enjoy learning from and surrounding myself with new and diverse people. 

To share some of my background with you all, I am from Tiffin, Ohio, and will defend the Midwest against all slander. I major in secondary education and sociology in Peabody College, intending to earn a teaching license for grades 6-12 social studies — a goal I’ve had since middle school. Recently, though, I’ve become interested in education policy, administration and curriculum design. Through my work with Vanderbilt Small Town and Rural Students (STARS), I enjoy studying the intersection of public education and local politics and hope to pursue a career making education as accessible as possible. I pride myself on being the first customer at Local Java most mornings — you can almost always find me behind my computer with a chocolate croissant and an iced Americano. When I am not doing school work, you can find me consuming too much caffeine, reading the latest celebrity memoir, taking a cycle class or forcing my family members to FaceTime me with my cats. But most importantly, I’m just like you. I procrastinate my assignments in Rand booths and religiously wait in Suzie’s lines no matter their length. I experience and understand many of the trials and tribulations that you face as a student and aim to accurately portray and elevate them as Editor-in-Chief. 

During my tenure as Editor-in-Chief, I hope to continue our hard-hitting journalism that has earned 28 national awards this year. Among those honors, The Hustler Sports Section won Best National Web Sports Section for the second year in a row, and we hope for a three-peat this year under the lead of Sports Editor Andrew Wilf! Our newest Multimedia sections — Data, led by junior Katherine Oung, and Podcasts, led by sophomore Kate Connell — have also made outstanding strides with The Hustler recently. Keep an eye out for a first-year survey — much like our Class of 2023 Senior Survey — to be published in a few weeks. The Podcasts section also rolled out four new podcasts this past semester, which will build on their initial episodes this spring. Through the continuation of the Hustler Connects program, I look forward to communicating with organizations and being transparent and responsive with our reporting. If you or your organization is interested in meeting with our team, please click here. Additionally, feel free to contact me with any questions, concerns or tips; you can reach me at jorie.fawcett@vanderbilt.edu. 

Student journalists nationwide stand at an important crossroads of information dissemination and community impact. As Vanderbilt does not have an academic journalism program, The Hustler holds a unique opportunity to expand storytelling and ignite passion among budding writers. Our grassroots approach to journalism not only allows for a culture of expressive communication but also builds the foundation for critical thinking, research and informed, powerful storytelling. As Editor-in-Chief, one of my biggest goals is to meet my writers and editors where they are and give them the tools and support necessary to meet their aspirations. Our staffers have a diverse list of hopeful future plans — medical school, broadcast journalism, mechanical engineering and everything in between — but they all have a passion for storytelling. During my tenure, I hope to build their confidence as a journalist, as a student and as a future leader.  

Each time I open an article to edit or pull up a chair in the Newsroom, I think of all those who have come before me and all those who will follow. It takes a village to be our best selves, especially in college, and I am thankful for my village of Hustler editors, especially Senior Advisor Rachael Perrotta for her constant mentorship and guidance during my time as both a reporter and editor. In leading the next generation of Vanderbilt student journalists, I will remember and emphasize the lessons I have learned in the Newsroom and at Vanderbilt. During my time as Editor-in-Chief, I hope to foster a relentless pursuit of truth and to highlight diverse and unique perspectives. In short, in its 136th year, I aim to uphold The Hustler’s strong legacy. I look forward to embarking on this journey alongside you.

Anchor down and happy new year!