Since graduating in 2000, Bill Colrus hasn’t slowed down in Chattanooga’s media and communications scene and now serves as Editor-in-Chief of The Pulse, Chattanooga’s weekly arts and news publication. We recently sat down with Bill to ask him about his position at The Pulse and his UTC experience.
Q. What have you been up to since graduation? 
A. I’ve written for a handful of publications, had a few media and nonmedia-related jobs, created and produced two local television series, and, since the fall of 2003, have served as the editor of The Pulse.
Q. What are some of the articles of which you are proudest that The Pulse has published?
We published a series of stories that helped clear a man wrongly accused of murder. I’m probably most proud of those.
Beyond that, there are really too many to count – and I mean that sincerely. We have, and have had, a great roster of writers who’ve done great work in virtually all areas of our paper. And, of course, our annual satire-laden April Fool’s issue always makes me proud – albeit in a different way.
Q. Why did you choose to attend UTC?
UTC was on a big list of schools I was considering. I visited the campus, liked what I saw and heard, applied, and was accepted. Plus, my girlfriend (and now wife) had recently moved to Chattanooga, so that helped a bit with my decision to attend, too.
As expected, my English classes struck a nice balance between intense literature study and solid writing instruction. My communication courses allowed me to get my feet wet in a variety of media settings while, at the same time, focusing in depth on the trends, mechanics, politics, and social issues related to the media as a whole.
Q. What is your favorite UTC memory?
Everybody probably says this, but I really don’t have just one. I learned a lot from my professors, loved living on campus, made a lot of friends, and went on bunches of road trips. A dorm mate and I made a movie about our dorm, and we used to organize poetry nights in the basement. They were always hilarious.
It was great to be able to walk from my dorm room to Chamberlain Field to watch the Mocs play. Terrell Owens was still here then. It was also cool to watch Dick Vitale and ESPN broadcast from the arena when Michigan came into town to play us. We almost beat them, too.
Q. What do you miss about UTC?
I had a great time at UTC. I had great professors and met a lot of great people. I don’t get to see them nearly as much as I’d like to these days. I also miss the many heated in-class debates and discussions we had.
UTC helped to polish my skills and opened a lot of doors for me. Since graduation, my former professors have always been willing to help me and give me advice whenever I’ve needed it.
- written March 2007
- UTC Department of Communications
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