Who Writes for The Villanovan and Is It Affiliated with Villanova University?

Updated

The Villanovan is the student news site of Villanova University, and its articles are written by students — staff writers, section editors, columnists, and co-editors-in-chief — rather than by university administrators or public relations staff. It is affiliated with Villanova University in the sense that it is the university's student-run publication, but its content is student media, not official university announcements. You can confirm this on any article by checking the byline, which lists the author's name and role.

Who writes the articles

Every story carries a byline identifying the writer and their position. From the site's own listings, the roles that appear include:

  • Staff Writer — the most common credit, used by contributors across News, Culture, and opinion pieces
  • Political Columnist — writers producing recurring political commentary
  • Co-Culture Editor and Co-Editor-in-Chief — senior editorial roles
  • Co-Editor-in-Chief — the top editorial position, credited on major coverage such as sports

Examples visible on the site include Kaitlin Lawrenson and Taylor Ulrich as Staff Writers, Addy McDougall as Political Columnist, Maggie Fitzgerald as Co-Culture Editor, and Dylan Johnson as Co-Editor-in-Chief. This range shows the publication is produced by a student editorial team, not a single author or an outside agency.

What "student news site" means for reliability

The site describes itself as "The Student News Site of Villanova University." That framing matters for how you should read it:

  • It is student-produced journalism. Articles reflect the reporting, analysis, and opinions of student writers and editors.
  • It is not an official university channel. A piece in The Villanovan does not carry the weight of a statement from Villanova's administration, and opinions expressed belong to the individual authors.
  • Opinion and news are mixed. The homepage surfaces columns and commentary (for example, pieces arguing a position on climate change or reflecting on student life) alongside reported news, so check the section and byline to tell them apart.

How to verify who is behind a specific article

  1. Open the article you are reading.
  2. Look at the byline directly under the headline — it names the author and their role (e.g., "Staff Writer," "Political Columnist").
  3. Check the section label (News, Culture, Sports, opinion) to understand the type of content.
  4. If you need to confirm the publication's status, note the site's own description: "The Student News Site of Villanova University."

The expected result is that you can identify the writer, their position, and whether you are reading reported news or an individual's opinion — which tells you how much official weight to give the piece.

Common points of confusion

  • "Affiliated with Villanova" does not mean "speaks for Villanova." The publication is tied to the university as its student news outlet, but its articles are not official university communications.
  • A student byline is not a red flag. Student journalism can be well-reported; the byline simply tells you the source and perspective.
  • Editorial roles signal seniority, not authority over facts. A Co-Editor-in-Chief credit indicates a leadership position on the student staff, not endorsement by the university.