Sadie Brandt, Editor-in-Chief
Sadie Brandt is a third-year journalism student from California, Maryland. This is her third semester as an editor and first as Editior-In-Chief after three semesters writing for the Cigar! She enjoys writing about campus politics and current events, as well as entertainment columns and editorials. Outside of the Cigar, Sadie dances with the URI Dance Company and loves spending time with friends.
Ella Gerdts, Managing Editor
Ella Gerdts is a second-year student from New York. She is a double major in Journalism and Biology. This is her fourth semester at the Cigar and her second in an editorial position. Ella hopes to one day become a reporter focusing on politics. When she’s not writing, she is either playing guitar or cooking.
Casey Chan-Smutko, News Editor
Casey Chan-Smutko is a fourth-year Journalism major with an English minor. This is her eighth semester working for the Cigar and her third as an editor. In her time outside of the Cigar, Casey plays the ukulele and keyboard and makes multi-media art.
Aria Garcia-Torres, News Editor
Aria Garcia-Torres is a fouth-year student from Lowell, Massachusetts and is majoring in Journalism. This is her second semester with the Cigar and her first as an editor. She aspires to pursue a career in long form reporting on healthcare and environmental issues, and dabbles in music and photography when she’s not writing.
Charlie Adams, Sports Editor
Charlie Adams is a second-year student from Cranston, Rhode Island, and is double majoring in Sports Media and Journalism. This is his fourth semester with the Cigar and his first as an editor after two semesters as a Sports Staff Reporter. Outside of the Cigar, Charlie broadcasts school sporting events for ESPN+ and will be interning with the Hyannis Harbor Hawks in the Cape Cod Baseball League as a broadcaster this summer.
Jill Cervantes, Arts & Culture Editor
Jill Cervantes is a fourth-year student from Dumont, New Jersey, and is a double majoring in Communication Studies and English on the creative writing track. This is her fifth semester with the Cigar and her first as an editor. Before becoming the Arts & Culture editor, she had help two editorial internships, one with East Greenwich News and one with Rhode Island Monthly. Outside of the Cigar, she enjoys traveling and reading to learn about different cultures and writing about them.
Nora Kelley, Photo Editor & Web Editor
Nora Kelley is a third-year student from Rockville, Maryland, and is double majoring in Sports Media and Communication Studies. This is her fourth semester with the Cigar and her first as an editor. Nora’s favorite subjects to photograph are sports and the arts. Outside of the Cigar, she is a founder and the Vice President of the URI Women in Sports organization and works as a photography intern for the women’s lacrosse team.
Morganne Judd, Newscast Editor
Morganne Judd is a fourth-year Journalism and Film major from West Warwick, Rhode Island. Morganne has served as the Newscast Producer and Editor for three consecutive semesters. She also is the weekly show producer for 20SomethingsTV. Morganne specializes in TV production as a segment writer, camera operator, television host, media manager and producer. After college, she plans to work as an MMJ or TV Photographer with a long term goal of becoming a TV Producer.
Amanda Cubit, Business Manager
Amanda Cubit is a third-year business student from Ambler, Pennsylvania. She majors in Supply Chain Management with a minor in German. She is also a member of the women’s rowing team and loves to find ways to get involved within URI Athletics. This is her third semester with the Cigar and she is very eager to apply her business knowledge while gaining insight into the news environment.
Brigid Locke, Social Media Coordinator
Brigid Locke is a fourth-year student from Wakefield, Massachusetts double majoring in Sports Media and Data Science. This is her fourth semester as the Social Media Coordinator with the Cigar, and her sixth overall. Brigid is especially interested in the intersection of sports, data and storytelling, and enjoys using analytics to enhance fan engagement and media coverage. Outside of the Cigar, she is the founder of the URI Women in Sports and has worked with organizations like the Boston Celtics, Zoomph, and Barstool Sports in analytics and media-focused roles. After graduation, she hopes to pursue a career in sports analytics and digital media within sports organizations.
Maia Hembruff, Production Manager
Maia Hembruff is a third-year honors journalism student from Ottawa, Canada. She is a member of the university’s women’s rowing team, and loves being involved at URI. This is her sixth semester with the Cigar and her fifth in an editorial role. Maia prefers stories under an environmental beat, and hopes to one day bridge her love of journalistic feature writing with her interest in photography and documentary work!