The Maneater has a lasting impact on alums careers and lives. Hear from six alumni on what the paper continues to mean to them.
Since The Maneater was founded in 1955 by Joel Gold, countless students have called the newsroom a second home. Long after their last byline was published with the paper ‘Eaters still find ways to connect with it. Some alumni shared how The Maneater has impacted their lives and careers. They also shared some advice for current ‘Eaters.
Evelyn Kanter, from the class of 1963, was a feature editor at The Maneater. She went on to work for ABC News and CBS News, as a writer, producer and reporter. Now she is a freelance travel, automotive and environmental writer.
Kanters first assignment with The Maneater was to cover a football game, something she had never covered or seen before. The article went into print and Kanter still has copies saved. She shared a word of advice for current students.
“Your heart and your brain are more important than your wallet,” Kanter said.
Linda Quinet, class of 1965, started in journalism at the Detroit News, before moving to New York City to work in public relations. Next, Quinet went to Connecticut and worked for an international educational program doing print production, and eventually websites.
“I majored in Maneater [and] it resulted in being named to many honoraries, which helped get that first job,” Quinet said.
As a managing editor at The Maneater, Quinet remembers the late nights spent in Read Hall getting stories in, editing and sending them to the press for weekly printing. In order to work into the late hours of the night, she had to get a special pass to be out after the 10 p.m. curfew women had at the time.
“Go where your interests lead, figure the rest out as it happens,” Quinet said when asked what advice she would give to current students.
“Plot your own career path and stick to the plan,” Evan Davies, from the class of 1980, said.
Currently he operates his own ad agency in the Twin Cities. For more than 40 years, he worked various roles in agencies of all sizes in St Louis, Kansas City, Atlanta and New York. Davies worked as a business manager at The Maneater and achieved the largest revenue to date. He shared how working at The Maneater helped him land his first job.
“My first interview at an ad agency went disastrously,” Davies said. “Then I heard a fellow Maneater alum’s name paged. I dropped his name to my interviewer. My friend vouched for me after the interview and I got the job,” Davies wrote.
Trent Douthat, class of 1989, is a Technology Architect at Infosys. He has been taking care of one of Verizon’s billing systems since 2001. Douthat worked as a reporter and associate editor for The Maneater. His time at The Maneater helped him feel comfortable when he began work at The Missourian.
Douthat said his favorite memory with The Maneater was hanging out in the editor’s office and shooting the breeze. Douthat also gave some advice for current students on The Maneater.
“You gotta make a buck, but it’s possible to find a job [that] interests you,” Douthat said.
“Take as many creative risks as you can and stay flexible–you never know what opportunities will come your way or how your career will change,” Waverly Colville, from the class of 2018, said.
Colville is currently a multimedia producer at The New Yorker and runs their TikTok page. In the past, she was an associate producer at CNBC and at HBO’s Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel, where she won two Sports Emmy Awards for investigative journalism work.
At The Maneater, she was an MSA beat reporter and student organizations editor. Her fondest memory is making friends who she was able to collaborate with and cheer on. She said working for The Maneater set her up for success.
Sydney Lewis, currently a senior, was the general manager of Mizzou Student Media last year, after previously being managing editor of The Maneater. They have interned at The Times-Picayune in New Orleans and Star Tribune in Minneapolis.
“The people I met at every part of my time at The Maneater made the whole thing mean way more than just a way to get clips or experience,” Lewis said. They encourage current ‘Eaters to spend as much time in the newsroom as possible.
About their time in The Maneater, Lewis expresses gratitude for the space it gave them to explore different career options.
“It made me realize the part of journalism that I love — and it isn’t reporting,” Lewis said. “I wouldn’t have known the work I’m doing is even possible without having the opportunities to explore my passions at The Maneater.”
Copy edited by Sterling Sewell | ssewell@themaneater.com
Edited by Sophie Rentschler | srentschler@themaneater.com