Reaction to Tom Witherspoon (VYPE)

When Tom Witherspoon came into class last Thursday, I expected him to tell us how much we needed to pay attention in class. I expected him to tell us to get out and write for somebody while we get our degree. I expected a lot of things, and I was surprised because he said none of them.

Not only did Witherspoon not stress the importance of a journalism degree or its equivalent, but he was a history major. This surprised me more than anything. Nonetheless, Witherspoon does an excellent job as a one-man magazine machine. He obviously knows what he is doing and his "niche" magazine's role in the Wichita sports market. I had read VYPE several times before Witherspoon spoke, and for him to take on the amount of work he does while putting out a good publication, is impressive.

I also liked the way he prioritizes the parts of his magazine. He knows that good photography and design are important because VYPE is a high-gloss publication. With good photography and design, the magazine cannot help but stand out. However, even with the emphasis on photography and design, Witherspoon knows that his top concern should be the writing.

With the passion and time that Witherspoon seems to put into VYPE on a constant basis, it almost cannot help but be successful. There is definitely room for it in Wichita, and as he pointed out, VYPE has no true direct competitors. I will definitely continue to read VYPE every month, and I hope that Witherspoon continues to put out strong, timely content.