“We’re proud of our Talisman roots!” says Patrick Hutson, a University of Maryland freshman and co-creator of The Towson Talisman’s satirical section, “The Kumquat,” which debuted in our school newspaper in the beginning of the 2015-16 school year.

A graduate of Towson High’s 2016 class, Hutson is now a published staff writer at UMD’s satirical newspaper, The Rival. I tracked him down to ask him a few questions on how writing for The Talisman had prepared him for college-level writing and what advice he could give to aspiring satirical writers.

“The Rival is similar to “The Kumquat” in that we can essentially write what we want. Sometimes our boss will find an event on campus and ask for ideas about it, but he always asks ‘Any ideas?’  Not, ‘This is what we should write about,’” says Hutson when describing how “The Kumquat: is similar to The Rival. The freedom he was given at The Talisman gave him the confidence to write about anything he was interested in, allowing his mind and writing to flow unrestricted.

Hutson says it’s a good idea to work hard on all of the articles current staff members write for The Talisman. He used some of his past articles from “The Kumquat” during his interview for The Rival to help him score the spot!

Hutson had a single piece of advice for all aspiring satirical writers: “Good satire doesn’t just make people laugh, it makes them think.”

As one of the pioneers of the Talisman’s “Kumquat,” Hutson is thriving in his new home. His accomplishments are a perfect example of how hard work and strong writing at The Talisman can pay off.

To see some of his writing (and the writing of co-“Kumquat” creator and Towson grad Adam Cines, who also attends UMD), click here: https://umd.therival.news/