The Cluster announces new editor-in-chief and managing editor

The Cluster has appointed Mary Helene Hall as its Editor-in-Chief and Micah Johnston as its Managing Editor for the 2021-2022 school year.

Mercer University’s faculty-led Media Board appoints The Cluster’s Editor-in-Chief and Managing Editor each year, as well as literary magazine The Dulcimer’s Editor-in-Chief. These students receive stipends from the university each semester to support their work.

Hall, a rising junior majoring in journalism, has worked for The Cluster as a staff writer and served as its Managing Editor for the 2020-2021 year.

Hall’s work has been honored by National Public Radio, Discord and more. She took home the most individual awards of any member of The Cluster’s staff at the 2021 Georgia College Press Association Better Newspaper Contest, where she won second place in the Best Photo – Editorial/Feature category, third place in the Best Photo – Sports category and third place in the Best News Article – Objective category.

“I feel so thrilled and honored to be chosen as the next Editor-in-Chief of The Cluster. I’ve been involved with student journalism for so much of my life, and it is a privilege to lead a staff of a newspaper as great as The Cluster. Our previous editors have gone on to do such wonderful things, so I am excited to now be among them,” Hall said.

This summer, Hall is a John M. Couric Media Fellow at AL.com, the largest news and information site in the state of Alabama.

Johnston is a rising senior double-majoring in journalism and media studies. He worked for The Cluster as a staff writer and served as its 2020-2021 Sports Editor.

Johnston has interned with Georgia Public Broadcasting and The Macon Telegraph, and he won third place in the Best Sports Article category at the 2021 GCPA Better Newspaper Contest. He will continue his work with The Telegraph this summer as a reporter.

“I was so excited when I learned that I was the new Managing Editor of The Cluster,” Johnston said. “The Cluster has been a huge reason for my growth as a journalist while I've been at Mercer, so to be named a key member of next year's staff was an amazing feeling. I had a great time being Sports Editor last year and am really looking forward to helping The Cluster grow and working with a new team of editors and writers during the next year.”

Hall is already planning for The Cluster’s future. She said she wants to grow the newspaper’s presence on campus and in the Mercer community.

“I want students to know and trust their campus newspaper and feel like they can rely on us to get important news to them as quickly and accurately as possible,” Hall said.