Dear Edgewood College students, staff and faculty,
My name is Alyssa Allemand; I am a 2020 Edgewood alumna and former editor of the campus newspaper, On The Edge News. I am writing to share a bit about Patricia Simms, who passed away one year ago today, on April 5, 2021. She was advisor of OTE from 2016-20 and taught in the English department at Edgewood College.
To honor Pat’s legacy, I, with the help of Ellen Foley and the Edgewood College advancement office, have set up a fund in Pat’s name — the Polka Dot Press: In Memory of Pat Simms.
Pat was a life changing mentor for many of us who had the honor of working alongside her. Under Pat’s leadership, OTE received several awards for its reporting. Many students who were involved with OTE have gone on to land internships and jobs at several state news organizations, such as Wisconsin Public Radio, Channel3000, the Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism, The Progressive and others.
Pat is also much more than a news advisor to me. She’s my dearest friend, and I miss her every day, all the time.
One of my favorite stories is the time when what I and some other OTE editors thought would be a quick check-in at Pat’s house turned into a seven-hour work day. There was a period in which we were reporting on a series of events almost daily (the Planned Parenthood/TFP story from December 2019), and a couple of us went to swing by Pat’s to run some thoughts by her and call it a day. But we ended up inviting over another editor, and at the small table in her kitchen, with the red and white polka dot table cloth, we fleshed out two full stories and made jokes about what we’d need to do if the paper was forced to go independent. We said we would call it the Polka Dot Press.
The Polka Dot Press fund will support the OTE operating budget and be used for aims such as reviving print editions of the newspaper, expanding staff, redesigning the website, supporting diversity and inclusion, paying for contest fees and more. The OTE faculty advisor has discretion over how and when the funds are used.
To donate, visit this webpage and hit the drop down under “Designation”, then select “Polka Dot Press Fund in Memory of Pat Simms.” You can also send a check to Edgewood College and put “Polka Dot Press: In Memory of Pat Simms” in the memo.
OTE’s mission is to embrace Edgewood College’s core values through its work as a voice for students. Your donation, no matter how small, helps make that possible. OTE is a space for students to gain professional hands-on experience in journalism, form meaningful connections with the college and surrounding community, foster teamwork and find their voices.
Pat was, is, and will always be the heart of that space.
To show your support for student journalism, the campus’s core values in action, and to keep Pat’s memory alive, please consider making a donation.
To donate, visit this webpage and hit the drop down under “Designation”, then select “Polka Dot Press Fund in Memory of Pat Simms.” You can also send a check to Edgewood College and put “Polka Dot Press: In Memory of Pat Simms” in the memo.
OTE’s mission is to embrace Edgewood College’s core values through its work as a voice for students. Your donation, no matter how small, helps make that possible. OTE is a space for students to gain professional hands-on experience in journalism, form meaningful connections with the college and surrounding community, foster teamwork and find their voices.
Pat was, is, and will always be the heart of that space.
To show your support for student journalism, the campus’s core values in action, and to keep Pat’s memory alive, please consider making a donation.
Thank you for all you do to carry on the Edgewood College values of truth, justice, compassion, partnership and community.
Alyssa Allemand
Digital News Editor, Wisconsin Public Radio
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