Joshua H. Weiss, a junior communications major, is the founding editor-in-chief of Drexel’s chapter of The Odyssey Online
The Odyssey Online is a national online magazine dedicated to providing content that appeals to millennials. It has over 3,500 writers and 450 campus chapters nationwide. Drexel University got its very own chapter of The Odyssey in July 2015, thanks to editor-in-chief Josh Weiss.
The Odyssey is often compared to a college newspaper where the students express themselves on topics that matter most to them. It is an open forum for them to write any kind of article that may be hard to publish in print. “You can’t print a BuzzFeed-esque listicle in newsprint. So instead of taking away from what the newspaper offers, I see it as just another medium, this one completely digital, in which to write,” Josh said.
Josh was granted the opportunity to create a chapter at Drexel after he was interviewed by Complex Media for an internship back in April. Sadly, Josh didn’t get the position but the woman who interviewed him left her job at Complex Media to join The Odyssey as the managing editor. Josh made such a positive impression on her that she thought he might be a good fit for the editor-in-chief of The Odyssey’s Drexel chapter.
As editor-in-chief Josh has to manage a group of more than 12 writers, who write about a wide variety of topics from chicken wings to One Tree Hill to the 2016 GOP candidates. Josh has to check for grammar and syntax errors in articles. He also is in constant contact with the writers to pitch ideas (or be pitched to) and make sure every writer meets their weekly deadlines. He also has to stay in touch with managing editors above him about the status of The Odyssey and pass on opportunities to the writers.
According to Josh, being the editor of The Drexel Odyssey has its ups and downs. One of the best parts of the job is that it is a mostly run by students. Students are the writers and social media directors, and the organization would be nothing without them. The managing editors are the ones who give the final edits, but the students of each chapter are the ones who keep the website going. There is no censorship in their views, opinions, or random thoughts on the word.
The hardest part of being editor is making sure the writers meet their deadlines, Josh said. Journalism is a very time sensitive field, and it is important that every writer submits his or her stories on time. Sometimes deadlines come and Josh is left hanging without the amount of articles he needs to meet quota and this can be frustrating for him. Yet, he loves it, and it teaches him more about the journalism world. “It really gives you more practice with meeting deadlines in the real world and having been the Arts & Entertainment Editor for Drexel’s newspaper my freshman year, staying on top of this is nothing new to me,” he said.
Josh is currently on co-op, and he is also working three part time jobs. He doesn’t see this organization interfering with his work at Drexel since he knows how to manage his time wisely. Once classes start again for him, he will budget his schedule to be on top of his game.
Upon graduating, Josh wants to work in the media industry. He is currently studying public relations, but he would never pass an opportunity to work in film, television or broadcast journalism. He has previously worked for NBC’s local station and will be working for CNBC this fall.
Working as the editor-in-chief of The Drexel Odyssey has greatly influenced Josh. He has always had a passion for writing and dreams of being a published author or scriptwriter someday. With The Drexel Odyssey, Josh has the chance to write about subjects he’s passionate about, especially pop culture.
Besides writing, broadcasting, and editing, Josh enjoys “old man hobbies” like reading fiction novels, fishing in peaceful lakes, and cooking dinner for family and friends. Lately he has been collecting vinyl records.
You can also find Josh hanging around the Alpha Epsilon Pi house, Hillel, Chabad and The Jewish Learning Initiative on Campus, contributing to Drexel’s literary magazine, Maya, or Dragons of Israel. He is also a staff writer and the social media director for The Triangle. Josh clearly wears many hats and his future is definitely looking bright!