Like Clark Kent, Matt Huston is more than just a journalist.
He may not wear a cape or rescue residents of Ewing, but making music could be considered a “super” alter ego.
This singer-songwriter is Editor-in-Chief of TCNJ’s newspaper The Signal, something he’s been involved with since his first semester here.
“I’ve liked to write forever,” says the senior journalism major, who wanted to join the paper as soon as he visited the school and found out there was one. “In high school I worked on the newspaper, so it’s something I always enjoyed.”
His original aspiration was to be Arts & Entertainment Editor (and he was in spring ’10), but an older student predicted his current position.
“At my first Signal party, Joe Hannan (’09 alum and former EIC) told me he thought I was going to be Editor-in-Chief. And I was like, ‘Really? I never thought about that before,’” he recalls. “That sort of planted the seed and became my long-term goal.”
Having attained the position, he says, “I’m cautiously satisfied, in that I’m glad to be here, but I’ll be really glad after the semester’s over and I can hopefully say I’ve done a good job.”
Last spring he interned with The Philadelphia Inquirer in Cherry Hill, and spent his previous summer at The Bucks County Courier Times.
Besides The Signal production room, another campus locale he frequents is The Rat, where he performs music.
He began violin in second grade, but cannot recall why exactly he chose the instrument.
“I liked music well enough and everyone else was doing it, but I guess my picking violin made as much sense as my liking the Toronto Raptors because they had a dinosaur for a logo,” he explains.
He played for eight years before switching to another stringed instrument: the guitar.
“I’ve been in a couple bands, but most recently I’ve played music solo acoustic. It’s kind of like rock, minus the drum and the bass. You could call it alternative, but that’s not saying much,” says Huston.
His musical influences include Radiohead, Red Hot Chili Peppers and the White Stripes.
When asked if he’d prefer a career in music or journalism, he replied, “In my dream world I’d be doing both. In real life, I’m almost certain I’m going to end up with a journalistic career. But if I had the opportunity to record an album or something, I’d be extremely excited about that.”
His interests in these areas often collide.
“I was lured into (the field of journalism) by music journalism and reading magazines like Spin and Rolling Stone,” says Huston. “I love reading about music and I love writing about music.”
Not only does he like writing about music, but he also writes music. Comparing the two, he says, “I can’t say I like one better than the other. Writing an article is more of a cognitive good feeling, and writing songs is more in the gut.”
Interestingly, this Campus Celebrity doesn’t reside on campus – he’s a commuter.
Initially the Langhorne, Pa. native had difficulty making friends at school because he wasn’t there all the time, but has since found friends and a sense of belonging.
Plus, commuting has its advantages: “The privacy is nice. If you’re having a bad day or just want to be by yourself, you have the freedom. You don’t have to worry about a roommate,” he says.
Another upside? “I like my family. They’re cool.”
While he may have a lot on his plate now, overseeing the editorial and business aspects of the student newspaper, he is nearing the end of his time at TCNJ.
“I’m on the home stretch of my college career, I’m just hoping that the semester is everything I hoped it would be,” he says. “It falls on me to make that happen.”
To hear Matt’s music, check out his songs here!
Photo courtesy of Sam DeWys.