NEWBERRY — If you’ve noticed a new name in The Newberry Observer lately, you’re not imagining things: Carson Lambert, a senior at Newberry College, set up his desk with us earlier this month as a staff writer.
Lambert primarily will be covering Newberry City Council, the city of Newberry and Whitmire Town Council, but will be tasked with tackling other meetings and events as well.
A communications major, Lambert did some writing for The Observer for one of his classes at Newberry College so he’s already been in print. His favorite story from those experiences was a story he did about strange laws in South Carolina.
Lambert, 26, was born in Columbia but grew up in Lexington. The middle child of Steve and Jean Ann Lambert, he has an older brother — Ben — and a younger sister, Anne Marie.
“My dad is retired from the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED). He was a DNA analyst. Now, he teaches at Newberry College in the chemistry department,” Lambert said. “My mom works at Mental Health America of South Carolina.”
Lambert said he and his siblings did what most kids do when they are children: spent time outdoors and rode bikes.
“Growing up I played city recreation sports, like hockey,” Lambert said. “I liked sports as a child.”
Lambert attended Lexington High School, graduating in 2008. He then attended Montreat College near Asheville, N.C., because of two family connections — his brother was a student there and his mother is an alum — but stayed only a year, deciding to attend the University of South Carolina.
Lambert, a life-long Gamecock fan, also has a family connection to USC: his parents both received their secondary degrees from there. He stayed for one year then decided to take a year off.
“I took a year off in 2011 to figure out what I wanted to do,” he said. “I worked for a year delivering pizza. That was enough to make me realize I wanted to finish school.”
Lambert started Midlands Technical College in the fall of 2012 and attended for a year to finish his general education so when he transferred to Newberry College, he only had to focus on his major, which at the time was theater.
“I had recently become involved in community theaters in the Midlands area. I really did not know what I wanted to do, and I liked theatre,” he said. “I enjoy the arts in all forms.”
Lambert has been involved in a number of productions but his favorites are Unto these Hills, Arsenic and Old Lace, and 9 to 5, his first play.
Unto these Hills was one of his favorites because the production he was in has been running since 1950, and he was in the 64th and 65th productions. Arsenic and Old Lace was a favorite because he has a love of classic cinema.
After being at Newberry College for one year, Lambert switched his major to communications.
“I took a video production class … as an elective. I felt that was more in line with my career goals,” he said. “It was the right call. I do not regret my decision one bit. I wish I had declared communications as my major when I came in. I can honestly say my communications major helped me get this job.”
Lambert’s favorite part about being a communications major has been learning the various aspects of media, particularly video production. Lambert said he is looking forward to learning new things and building relationships with the community.
When Lambert is not working or in class, he will most likely be playing golf, reading, painting, playing his guitar or watching old movies.