Staff
Amethyst Martinez, executive editor (they/she)
Amethyst Martinez is the current executive editor of The Rider News for the 2023-24 school year. She first started at the newspaper as an unpaid photographer, then moving to features and entertainment editor, managing editor and now executive editor. Martinez, a senior journalism major, has had bylines featured in USAToday, The Austin American-Statesman, NJ.com, the Star Ledger and more. She is a current intern at Delaware Online/The News Journal as she finishes her senior year. Martinez can be contacted at martinezame@rider.edu for tips, inquiries and more.
Jake Tiger, managing editor (he/him)
Jake Tiger is a junior journalism major with a minor in sports media and is currently the managing editor of The Rider News. Tiger began as a sports writer for The Rider News in 2021 covering a number of sports, and eventually became a sports editor for the 2022-23 school year. In 2023, he earned the SPJ Region 1 Mark of Excellence for Sports Writing for one of his sports features. Tiger also works as a student writing consultant for Rider’s Academic Success Center. Tiger can be reached at tigerja@rider.edu regarding any tips, inquiries, story pitches, etc.
Julia Train, news editor (she/her)
Julia Train is a current news editor of The Rider News. She’s a senior, majoring in multiplatform journalism with a minor in social media strategies. She transferred to Rider after obtaining an associate degree in journalism at Atlantic Cape Community College, where she was extremely involved in the Communication Department. She started writing feature stories as soon as she arrived at Rider in the fall 2022 semester. On campus, she is the news director at 107.7 The Bronc and a member of the Gail Bierenbaum Women’s Leadership Council. Train is also an intern at Shore Local newsmagazine, a local publication that circulates Atlantic and Cape May counties. Contact her with tips, questions, etc. at trainj@rider.edu.
Jay Roberson, news editor (they/he)
Jay Roberson is a news editor at The Rider News. They began as a copy editor in fall 2022 before moving to news editor in spring 2023. Roberson is a secondary education and English major with a minor in special education. Outside of the newspaper, they are the president of Unified Sports and work as a student producer at 107.7 The Bronc. Roberson can be reached at robersonji@rider.edu for any questions or tips.
Tristan E. M. Leach, features and entertainment editor (they/them)
Tristan E. M. Leach is one of two features and entertainment editors at The Rider News. This is Leach’s third academic year in this position. They are a senior who is currently majoring in multi-platform journalism. Leach got their start at The Rider News as a beat reporter for features and entertainment and was later offered the opportunity to become an editor. Along with working for The Rider News, Leach is president of Spectrum, the LBTQ+ club on campus. Leach is passionate about writing feature stories about the people of Rider and opinion pieces about LGBTQ+ issues. Leach can be reached at leachtr@rider.edu for any questions, tips, interest pieces or other inquiries.
Hannah Newman, features and entertainment editor (she/her)
Hannah Newman is one of two features and entertainment editors at The Rider News. She is a junior journalism major with minors in Spanish and sports media. After serving as a contributing writer to the section for a year. Newman was offered the position as an editor. Newman has received Journalist of the Year in 2022 and 2023 as a result of her efforts to The Rider News. She currently is a sister of Zeta Tau Alpha Fraternity and serves as a contributing writer for the fraternity’s national magazine. Newman can be reached at newmanha@rider.edu for any questions or tips.
Felicia Roehm, opinion editor, (she/her)
Felicia Roehm is the opinion editor of The Rider News. She is a junior journalism major with a double minor in dance and gender and sexuality studies. She has been with The Rider News for two years and is passionate about writing about controversial issues. She is also a member of the Gail Bierenbaum Women’s Leadership Council, Circle K and a choreographer for the Rider Dance Ensemble. Roehm can be reached at roehmfe@rider.edu.
Logan VanDine, sports editor (he/him)
Logan VanDine is the current sports editor of The Rider News for the 2023-24 school year. He is a senior majoring in sports media with a minor in sports studies, and has been with the paper since his freshman year when he was a section writer and a copy editor. VanDine is also a contributing writer for FanSided, a sports website writing for the New York Giants FanSided page, GMEN HQ, and the New York Mets FanSided site, Rising Apple. Outside of The Rider News, VanDine also works at Rider University’s radio station, 107.7 The Bronc, as a producer for the show, Your Pet Matters. He writes and produces the sports reports at the Bronc, The Overtime and the Best Damn Sports Report, and has his own sports talk show, Sports Talk with Logan, on Friday’s from 1-2 p.m. VanDine can be contacted at vandinel@rider.edu if you have any questions or wish to become a section writer for sports.
Benjamin Shinault, sports editor (he/him)
Benjamin Shinault is a current sports editor at The Rider News. Benjamin is a sophomore majoring in multimedia journalism with a minor in sports media. Benjamin entered the newspaper as a baseball beat writer and then became sports editor in spring 2023. Also at Rider, Benjamin is heavily involved at 107.7 The Bronc, Rider’s student-run radio station, where he produces sports shows and does radio play-by-play broadcasting for the women’s basketball team. Outside of Rider, Ben is a contributing writer on The Good Phight, a Philadelphia Phillies blog site run by SB Nation. Contact Benjamin with tips, questions, etc. at shinaultb@rider.edu.
Maggie Kleiner, photo editor (she/her)
Maggie Kleiner is the photo editor of The Rider News. She is a junior graphic design major and a transfer student from Connecticut College. Kleiner has contributed to The Rider News since her first semester at Rider. Kleiner can be reached at kleinerm@rider.edu for any questions or tips.
Josiah Thomas, video editor (he/him)
Josiah Thomas is the current video editor for The Rider News. He is a junior graphic design major with an entrepreneurship minor. Outside of The Rider News, Thomas is a seasoned freelance graphic designer, photographer and videographer for his own small business. To contact Thomas, reach out to thomasjosi@rider.edu
Kaitlyn Seawood, social media editor (she/her)
Kaitlyn Seawood is a junior journalism major with a minor in social media strategies and is currently the social media editor of The Rider News. Seawood is a transfer student from Northampton Community College where she received her associate degree in journalism. She held positions for their student newspaper, The Commuter, as deputy editor and editor-in-chief. Outside of journalism, she is vice president of the Transfer Student Association, works with Rider’s admission team as a transfer experience coordinator, a member of the Gail Bierenbaum Women’s Leadership Council, and the Rider Pep Band. Seawood can be reached at seawoodk@rider.edu for any tips, inquiries, and more.
Eric Buckwalter, graphic design manager (he/him)
Eric Buckwalter is the design manager at The Rider News. He is a senior at Rider, majoring in graphic design. Eric has focused on creating a career in the sports design world, with basketball being a key subject across his work. He uses his work to be a part of his interests and passions. Buckwalter can be reached at buckwalteer@rider.edu for any questions or tips.
Asha S. Burtin, copy editor (she/her)
Asha S. Burtin is a senior who is currently a copy editor at the Rider News. She began working at The Rider News during the spring semester of her junior year. She is a music production major with a double minor in African American studies and gender and sexuality studies. Outside of the newspaper she is the editor of the club Tapestry on campus, and she is also an intern on campus for Wright Hall, working with residence life to help plan events related to gender and sexuality.
Caroline Haviland, copy editor (she/her)
Caroline Haviland is a copy editor for The Rider News. She is a sophomore journalism major with plans to declare a political science minor. Haviland has worked with The Rider News since her freshman year as copy editor, and has written numerous news articles throughout her sophomore year. To contact Haviland, reach out to havilandc@rider.edu.
Madison Lewis, copy editor (she/her)
Madison Lewis is a current copy editor for The Rider News throughout the 2023-24 school year. She first started at the newspaper in her freshman year as a copy editor and continued in that position throughout her sophomore year. This summer, she is interning with the Asbury Park Press. Outside of working and writing for the newspaper, Lewis is the secretary of the NEDA Campus Warriors at Rider University, an organization that advocates for people struggling with eating disorders. Lewis can be contacted at lewismad@rider.edu with any questions, tips, or any other inquiries.
Bridget Hoyt, copy editor (she/her)
Bridget Hoyt joined The Rider News in spring 2022 as a video editor and became a copy editor in fall 2023. She is a senior communications major with a minor in public relations. As a video editor, she received the NJ Press Foundation’s second place award for online video in April 2023. Outside of the news, Hoyt is a lead embedded composition tutor at the Academic Success Center’s writing studio and is currently an intern for the embedded tutoring program.
Libby D’Orvilliers, delivery manager (she/her)
Libby D’Orvilliers is the delivery manager for The Rider News. She is currently a sophomore at Rider majoring in psychology. In addition to working for The Rider News, D’Orvilliers is president of the club NEDA Campus Warriors at Rider University. She also serves as a Psychology Learning Community mentor and a tutor for the Academic Success Center.