Sarah Gilsoul

Hi everyone! My name is Sarah Gilsoul, and I am a senior Environmental Studies major with a minor in Educational Studies. I was born in Dallas, Texas, but I have spent most of my life in Layton, Utah. I first became interested in the environment in elementary school after my parents sent me to Zoo Camp every summer at the Hogle Zoo. There, I had had the opportunity to create relationships with animals and learn about the issues they face. This exposure drove home the message that animals and the environment mattered from a very early age. As I grew older, I became aware of the many environmental issues in Utah, including droughts, fires, air pollution, and water quality. Personally experiencing these conditions further inspired me to go to college for a degree in Environmental Studies. When I graduate, I hope to work as an environmental journalist, as an informal educator at a zoo or the NPS, in communications at a conservation organization, or continue with my education and become a professor (or something entirely different, everything is so interesting!).

During my experience at Gettysburg College within the Environmental Studies program, it has become abundantly clear that there are vast differences in public awareness of the environment and actual scientific facts. While there is a consensus among the scientific community, the public is far behind in its understanding of environmental issues and shows a deep distrust of experts in the field. I decided to minor in Educational Studies and emphasize writing and communication within my major to learn how to effectively communicate fairly complex environmental science issues in understandable ways to the general public. I hope to be a person who brides the gap between these two communities through my writing.

On-campus, I work at Schmucker Art Gallery as a gallery attendant. I am also a member of Alpha Omicron Pi sorority and a volunteer at Painted Turtle Farm on the weekends. Outside of school, I enjoy painting and spending time in the outdoors.

The Blog

The Emotional Power of Op-eds: Can opinion pieces still be considered good journalism? By applying Wyss’s six tenants of good journalism to Kendra Atleework’s opinion piece, Wildfires are changing California forever and making it harder to see a future here, I analyze the effectiveness of opinion in journalistic writing.

The Switch to Online News Media: I explore the transition to online news media from traditional print news and the possibilities that arise with this switch.

Podcasts as Liberation or a Hindrance to Communication: In recent years, podcasts have grown in popularity regarding the number of people listening and how many hours they spend on the medium. In this piece, I analyze the benefits and potential dangers of using podcasts as a source of information.

Using Multimedia to address Journalism’s Crisis: Response to Wilson Shultz’ Blog Post: In this piece, I consider the potential of multimedia to address issues of underrepresentation and misrepresentation in journalism.

My Stories

Native Plants Make a Debut at Adams County Farmers Market: Get to know horticulturist John Maciolek in an Interview at the Adams County Farmers Market, where he discusses the importance of native plant species. Stands like John’s serve as an opportunity to educate the public on environmental issues and have the potential to make environmentalism more inclusive and accessible.

For The Health of Students and The Environment, Gettysburg College Needs to Rewild Campus Greenspaces: Explore the benefits of rewilding campus green spaces at Gettysburg College. In addition to creating healthy habitats for local animals and insects, native landscapes may promote better mental health for the campus community.

Feature Story

Rewilding Gettysburg College: In this piece, I expand upon the ideas discussed in “For The Health of Students and The Environment, Gettysburg College Needs to Rewild Campus Greenspaces,” and further explore the ecological benefits and improvements to mental health that rewilding efforts can bring to college campuses and universities, as well as the barriers that may hinder institutions from taking part in the movement.