A Voice for the Students: ORU’s Rachel Schrader, The Oracle’s Editor in Chief, Discusses the Importance for Student Journalism

Rachel Schrader

Hometown: Cleveland, Ohio
Major: Public Relations and Advertising

For more than five decades, The Oracle, ORU’s student newspaper, has given a voice to the ORU community. Year after year, this voice finds life in the words of ORU’s student journalists, like Rachel Schrader, The Oracle’s current editor-in-chief. As a journalist, Rachel says a student press is important for any university, but there’s more to it than just reporting the news. According to Rachel, The Oracle is also important to ORU because it provides a place for student writers to grow and share their talents.

“Growing up,” Rachel said, “I was convinced I was a terrible writer. It never felt like my niche. But when I found news writing, I discovered a different type of writing. With news writing, I’m inspired by students and their stories. I now have an excuse to hear about people's lives. As a part of The Oracle, I’m learning to tell stories the way the Wall Street Journal tells stories, which is my type of writing.”

Two Ingredients for Good Writing: Objectivity and Authenticity

“News by the Students for the Students” … that’s The Oracle’s motto. It’s a motto that Rachel helps guide as editor in chief, a motto she upholds in telling the stories of ORU students. Since joining The Oracle, Rachel says she’s grown immensely as a writer and storyteller. She credits this growth to her journalism professor, Michael Overall.  

“Professor Overall is inspiring,” Rachel said, “in the way he approaches journalism. He preaches about objectivity in writing. He teaches that a journalist must be as unbiased as possible. With any media, it’s difficult to be truly neutral; everything has a side. But in class, Professor Overall always stresses the value of objectivity.”

When it comes to newswriting, Rachel believes in the importance of objectivity, but there’s another word that’s also important to Rachel: “authenticity.” During her first semester at ORU, Rachel says the word “authenticity” was spoken to her by the Lord. It’s a word that’s important to her because an “authentic” person is, as she describes it, a real person.

“People have different layers,” Rachel said. “You might want to be genuine, but on the outside, you’re not authentic in the way you act or speak. When I sit someone down, I want to hear their real story. I want people to be authentic and honest. We all have struggles in our college and spiritual journeys, but we’re not always real about it. I want people to be real when I interview them.”  

A Growing Writer and a Growing Believer

As a writer, Rachel has grown in how she expresses herself outwardly, becoming a public voice for the ORU students. But she’s also grown internally, becoming closer in her relationship to God. Before ORU, Rachel, a “pastor’s kid,” found it easy to rely on her parents as a source of faith, what she describes as a “parental bubble.” Since coming to ORU, Rachel says she’s stepped out of this bubble and has developed a relationship with God that’s all her own.

“At ORU, I’ve grown in my personal pursuit of God,” Rachel said. “Being a pastor's kid, my parents gave me the opportunity to accept God on my own, but when I first came to ORU, I didn’t know how to rely on God. Since I’ve been at ORU, I’ve learned to rely on God for what I need. As a student, I’m building my relationship with the Lord, and He is going to guide me beyond the university and in my life.”

To learn more about how you can develop as a leader, please visit oru.edu.

ABOUT ORAL ROBERTS UNIVERSITY

ORU is a Christian, Spirit-empowered, interdenominational university in Tulsa, Oklahoma, with 15 years of consecutive enrollment growth. Regionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, ORU offers over 150 majors, minors, concentrations, and pre-professional programs at the bachelor’s level, ranging from business and engineering to nursing, ministry, and more. Under the leadership of President Dr. William Wilson, ORU is preparing students from all 50 states and 151 nations (from 2019 to 2023) to be whole leaders for the whole world.

The Wall Street Journal ranked ORU as the #8 university in the nation for student experience and one of America's Best Colleges (2024). This new category rates the best colleges in the U.S. to have a great experience while attending. This ranking is powered by one of the largest ever independent surveys of verified college students and recent graduates in the United States. Niche recognizes ORU as one of the most diverse colleges in America, # 1 best Christian college in Oklahoma, and # 1 in Oklahoma for diversity. Princeton Review ranked ORU as the best regional college, and College Raptor ranked ORU as a Hidden Gem in the Southwest.

ORU has been ranked by U.S. News & World Report as:

• #1 in Undergraduate Teaching
• #2 in Most International Students
• #3 in Best Value
• #6 in Best College for Veterans
• #7 in Best Regional Colleges in the West

For more information, visit www.oru.edu.