This week I got the opportunity to meet a new faculty member of the Visual Art, Communication & Design department at Andrews. As always, it’s very exciting to welcome a new professor to our university and I was glad to get to know her through this interview. Professor Harris shares some of her insights from her past career experiences and also talks about her favorite books and hobbies. Next time you find yourself in Nethery Hall, make sure to stop by her office for a chat!
Please introduce yourself to us!
I'm Professor Kaara Harris, and I'm the new assistant professor of journalism and communications at Andrews University.
What brought you here to Andrews?
That is a great question, and I should know how to say it in a succinct way, but I haven't been able to figure all the reasons out yet. First of all, it was a great opportunity and a challenging one at just the right time. I've been working at Newsday newspaper on Long Island in New York for several years and had been looking for something different, but I was more looking for more newsroom experience. I got a call from Professor Dan Weber, the chair of the department, saying that there was an opening here and asking if I'd be interested and my initial answer was no, because I'm a journalist, not a teacher. At first it didn't seem to really mesh but he's very persuasive so I spoke with him. I also had a chance to speak with Debbie Michel, who's the current Lake Union communications director, but used to be a journalism professor here. Speaking with them about their experiences kind of encouraged me to consider the opportunity and to pray about whether that would be a good fit for me so that's sort of the short version of it. But basically, after thinking and praying about it, and coming here to visit the campus and speak with the people here, I saw that it would be a good opportunity to put my experience to use in a different way.
What are you most excited for with your position?
I'm very excited about encouraging students to grow as writers and reporters, and to discover their strengths and gifts.
And is there anything that you're nervous about?
Everything? Because I am an introvert, I'm more used to working in the background and at a newspaper. I'm always very nervous about being up front speaking to students, so I enjoy my one on one conversations with them and coaching them. But yeah, lecturing is still a big source of nervousness for me.
What are some of your hobbies outside of journalism and teaching?
Do I have free time now? Not so much, but I like to work out. I’m not a gym buff, but I like to dance or walk to kind of help me clear my mind and get some movement. I also like to cook, I’m getting back into my cooking groove now that I've settled in here and unpacked all the pots. I'm trying to get back to leisurely reading, and I’m trying to explore southwest Michigan before it gets cold and snowy.
What got you into journalism in the first place?
I've always really liked writing and I've always been good at it. And fortunately, I've had teachers and my mom to support me in that endeavor. My first entry into journalism was in high school and I actually did not like it then. In high school, I was used to writing poetry and short stories and essays and I was told that in journalism you couldn't insert yourself into the writing. So I was like, that's boring. But during and after college, I did some internships in journalism and that kind of opened me up to a different perspective of journalism and being able to report on vital things that were interesting to me. Over the years, I did freelance work while working as a nonprofit professional. And after some time, I thought, it's now or never! Let me jump into the field and see if it's something I can really pursue professionally. So I went to grad school for journalism and I’ve stuck with it since.
What is your favorite book?
“Brown Girl, Brownstones" by an author called Paule Marshall. I read that every now and again, just to remind myself of why I'm interested in writing. It's a fictional book, telling the story of a young Barbadian girl growing up in Brooklyn and it hits very close to home for me. Being able to see my experience as the daughter of immigrants being reflected in one of the first books where I ever saw that is why it really sticks with me.
As a professor of journalism, do you think you’re more critical of the news when you’re watching or reading it?
I am now, particularly because I'm teaching it. I teach my students not to do this or that, and I tend to be more critical. But also, having worked behind the scenes, I can kind of understand the demands of time and trying to cater to the audience and trying to get them interested. So I do have a critical eye but also somewhat of a more sympathetic eye. I will admit, I was listening to the news this morning, and they did this whole segment on Taylor Swift and who she might be dating. And when I hear things like that, I’m like, why is this news? Why are they reporting on the same thing every month? I will also say that I do tend to be very critical of when people are sharing things online, like forwarding obvious clickbait stories. I do think we sometimes lose essential critical thinking skills when it comes to news online.
How has your faith impacted your decision to come and teach here, and also your journey of becoming a writer and a journalist?
My Christianity was definitely behind my decision to come to Andrews. In terms of being a journalist, I've never really found a conflict between my faith and doing my job. I know sometimes there were stories or content that personally I might not support, but as a journalist, it was just about being objective and doing my job. But I think the opportunity to come to a Christian university and an Adventist university, that was something I've never experienced before because I did not grow up in the church. I became a Christian when I was in college, so I never had that. And I thought, what would it be like to engage with students in that environment to teach with principles drawn from the Bible? What could that be like? So that was something that intrigued me and that I thought would be interesting. I really want to encourage students because when I was an Adventist working in secular newsrooms, when I would go to conferences and events I didn't really meet a lot of people like me. Sometimes I would question myself and think, am I in the wrong place? And so I'm hoping that being here can encourage students who want to be reporters or writers or editors that they can have those careers and still be faithful and be great at their profession and not feel alone.
The Student Movement is the official student newspaper of Andrews University. Opinions expressed in the Student Movement are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors, Andrews University or the Seventh-day Adventist church.