CASEY TRIMM, CHLOE SFERRA & JOSH LEE — When we signed up for this job this past January, we really had no idea what to expect. Now we pass on the torch, having grown wiser from this experience. Here is what the three of us have learned and what we hope for next semester:
The past year, the three of us have not only gotten to know each other more, we have also all grown in our own unique way, whether it be our leadership style, writing and editing skills, or ways to manage our time. Our time spent in these positions, whether we realize it or not, is valuable in that we gained real-world experience working for an organization that requires so much of us.
The diversity amongst the staff has taught us that it’s OK to have different values and people in the same room. It’s easy to be around people who think and look the same as you because then your opinions will never be challenged. But the best ideas for the paper have come from these differing opinions. We have been on the paper since our freshman year and to see how it has evolved over our time as Editors is amazing.
Even though we are all different, one thing we share is our value for ethical journalism. This has kept our bond together and stronger than ever.
Through running meetings, managing the staff, communicating with writers, attending administrative meetings and more, we have matured greatly since our first day on the job. We have built stronger relationships with our staff, advisor and others that we are truly grateful for.
We could never have done it on our own. It’s hard to put into words how thankful we are to those, especially our staff and advisor, that helped us out along the way. Every person on staff, regardless of their position, is important to the paper. That’s something we all love about this organization. We hope going forward that the next staff will value one another just as much as we did. We believe that once you find your rhythm as a staff, it shows.
One thing we ask of those who read the paper is to remember that those working on it every year are students learning the process of publishing who sacrifice time and energy to make this paper happen. Especially on Mondays, most of us dedicate a big chunk of our time to be in the office for hours and hours. It’s stressful work considering we have tight deadlines, so we hope that our readers can consider this when reading.
We sometimes get emails saying what we do wrong, and they are often rude in nature. Please, remember that this staff tries their best every week, and that we are students first and editors second. We welcome criticism and take into consideration every note that is sent our way, so we hope that the new staff is aware of the likely possibility of negative feedback from our audience.
We also ask that readers let the editors know when they do something you like. In general, people tend to only speak up when something negative happens. We don’t take the time to complement each other or even just say, “Hey, you are on the right track. Keep it up.” We encourage everyone to become comfortable with both constructive criticism and praise, just as we should become comfortable with receiving either.
It’s been a year, and a difficult year at that. Thank you for taking the time to read the paper this year. Even if this is the first edition you have ever picked up, thank you. We hope you continue to read it next year as well and welcome the new staff with optimism, acceptance and praise.