While you were sitting at home naked on a beanbag and eating Cheetos yesterday afternoon, I was hard at work.
Well, OK so “hard” isn’t the correct word. I was eating Smokey Bones barbecue and listening to Ray Tanner talk about how absolutely awesome his team is going to be.
But that’s my job and the reason I love it. Anytime the USC media department gets to pick up the tab on lunch, I’m there. Anytime the Colonial Center is serving food and I have a courtside seat, count me in.
Therefore, in the spirit of boasting about my job (and I got a new one yesterday as a beat writer for GamecockAnthem.com) I present to you Alex Riley’s Top 10 Reasons Why Working in the Newspaper Business (specifically sports) is Freakin’ Sweet:
10. Free paper for paper airplane wars
9. Running into Steve Spurrier and Ray Tanner at women’s basketball games
8. Courtside seats (except when players land in your lap)
7. Trying to decipher what Evka is saying
6. Getting to rip jokes constantly about USC with the people who run the place
5. The sweet smell of Bryce Sheldon’s hair gel
4. Daniel Stetson constantly giving me a breeze from waiving the Lithuania flag
3. Free food (minus the loaf a la meat)
2. Dave Odom’s 20-minute post-game speech on defensive letdowns
1. And of course: Rippin’ hot interns
-- Alex Riley
Sport Editor
Jan 31, 2007
Jan 30, 2007
First two weeks = Success!
Wow, what a great two weeks of papermaking! I really feel confident about this semester and about the new people on our staff we have obtained after just one interest meeting! We have another one Thursday (7 p.m. Russell House Room 322/326), and I am pumped about that one, too. It should bring more people and help us with our Technology section on Thursdays, which are always lacking in content.
Great job goes out to many, but two stand out in my minds: Tyler Mobley, our new movie columnist, and Melissa Force, who wrote a story about how to protect yourself. I really think the “newbies” are great additions to our neat little group of Mix writers. Welcome to The Daily Gamecock family. Keep sending in those stories to us on time and thanks for all that you do!
I want to shout out praise to Justin Fenner, who is doing such a great job in his new position as editor of our Mix section. He is perfect for this job. He deserves it, and he throws himself into everything he does and everything he writes. He really had to learn everything about the ins and outs of the paper in a short amount of time, and I think he did a great job in containing and absorbing all of that information smoothly. Thanks for your dedication, it makes my job as your assistant so much easier to see so much dedication in your work. And I love seeing your cute smiling face everyday, sweet stuff!
Lastly I want to say great job to Caroline and Liz for being our great new managing editor and editor-in-chief. Y'all are doing such a good job. Everything has been running smoother. We're all more organized with our budget meetings and our new planning routes. I think that you guys are great role models for upcoming staff members to see how a paper really should be run. Great job everyone, especially those in new positions this semester. I'm no expert on the paper because I've only been here for one semester myself, but I can tell that this semester is going to be a fabulous one.
-- The Mix
Andrea Lucas
Asst. Mix Editor
Great job goes out to many, but two stand out in my minds: Tyler Mobley, our new movie columnist, and Melissa Force, who wrote a story about how to protect yourself. I really think the “newbies” are great additions to our neat little group of Mix writers. Welcome to The Daily Gamecock family. Keep sending in those stories to us on time and thanks for all that you do!
I want to shout out praise to Justin Fenner, who is doing such a great job in his new position as editor of our Mix section. He is perfect for this job. He deserves it, and he throws himself into everything he does and everything he writes. He really had to learn everything about the ins and outs of the paper in a short amount of time, and I think he did a great job in containing and absorbing all of that information smoothly. Thanks for your dedication, it makes my job as your assistant so much easier to see so much dedication in your work. And I love seeing your cute smiling face everyday, sweet stuff!
Lastly I want to say great job to Caroline and Liz for being our great new managing editor and editor-in-chief. Y'all are doing such a good job. Everything has been running smoother. We're all more organized with our budget meetings and our new planning routes. I think that you guys are great role models for upcoming staff members to see how a paper really should be run. Great job everyone, especially those in new positions this semester. I'm no expert on the paper because I've only been here for one semester myself, but I can tell that this semester is going to be a fabulous one.
-- The Mix
Andrea Lucas
Asst. Mix Editor
Jan 29, 2007
Peanut Butter Jelly Time!
To avoid sounding pretentious, I'm not going to write about my section being the best or the backbone of the paper. The reason, of course, is because it's not called a "newspaper" just for laughs.
More importantly, I've come to the conclusion that the offices of The Daily Gamecock are haunted.
The news is all-important and vital, but being scared out of my wits is slightly more significant in my opinion. And that's not hard with all the weird kids walking around the Student Media offices, me included.
Every time I come up to the newsroom alone, I hear it -- the Phantom Staffer.
While sitting at my desk last year, precociously typing my little heart out, I heard a sound that reminded me of typing from the dark dungeon that is the Sports desk. I'm not that observant, so I went to check if our sports editor, Alex Riley, was working.
There was no one there.
About 15 minutes later, I heard the same typing noises. Being the intrepid journalist that I am, and the slightly stupid freshman I was, I decided to look one more time.
Again, no one was there.
And such has been the case since then. Every day during non-production hours, I hear the sounds of the Phantom Staffer, working diligently on the next day's issue.
It's gotten to the point that I've convinced our Metro editor, Nick Needham, that there is someone back there working and made him check more than once to make sure.
Call me crazy or over-caffeinated, but someone's there ... and they're waiting to get to the next big breaking story.
But not if I beat 'em to it.
-- Jackie Alexander
News Editor
(Not a crazy psycho)
More importantly, I've come to the conclusion that the offices of The Daily Gamecock are haunted.
The news is all-important and vital, but being scared out of my wits is slightly more significant in my opinion. And that's not hard with all the weird kids walking around the Student Media offices, me included.
Every time I come up to the newsroom alone, I hear it -- the Phantom Staffer.
While sitting at my desk last year, precociously typing my little heart out, I heard a sound that reminded me of typing from the dark dungeon that is the Sports desk. I'm not that observant, so I went to check if our sports editor, Alex Riley, was working.
There was no one there.
About 15 minutes later, I heard the same typing noises. Being the intrepid journalist that I am, and the slightly stupid freshman I was, I decided to look one more time.
Again, no one was there.
And such has been the case since then. Every day during non-production hours, I hear the sounds of the Phantom Staffer, working diligently on the next day's issue.
It's gotten to the point that I've convinced our Metro editor, Nick Needham, that there is someone back there working and made him check more than once to make sure.
Call me crazy or over-caffeinated, but someone's there ... and they're waiting to get to the next big breaking story.
But not if I beat 'em to it.
-- Jackie Alexander
News Editor
(Not a crazy psycho)
Jan 28, 2007
Holding out for a comment
It has been exactly two weeks since we started production here in the newsroom, but it feels like a lifetime. I wanted to start this blog not because "it's the thing to do," but because I want The Daily Gamecock readers to be a part of this process as much as we are.
Every morning when people pick up the paper, they are only getting one small part of that newspaper. So much goes into its creation that sometimes it feels like giving birth. The kids up here on the third floor of the Russell House get a unique experience every night. We get to make the news.
It's not exactly "fun" staying here until 2:30 a.m. because the online guys messed up uploads, and we still have to get up the next day to make it to class on time. It's not fun to come into the office and find phone calls and e-mails complaining about every little mistake in the paper.
It may not be fun, but we love what we do, and I wouldn't think of complaining.
Last Wednesday we had our first interest meeting for this semester. As editor in chief, I felt little butterflies in my stomach. I now have the responsibility of generating interest in this wonderful organization. Disappointingly enough, only about 10 people showed up.
How do we get people to understand that what we do is integral in this university setting? How do I explain to people how amazing, life changing and, yes, fun it is to be apart of The Daily Gamecock?
Of being apart of this staff, some of our "Gamecockers" (as we call ourselves) said:
"You will learn to log out of Facebook or suffer the humiliating consequences."
"Job side effects: expanded (obscenity) vocabulary, higher knowledge of world events and random bouts of insomnia."
"I have Andy Sorensen's cell phone number."
"Working for The Daily Gamecock will give you a whole new understanding of group insanity: 2 a.m. sitting in the office on a Thursday night and not being able to think of anywhere else you'd rather be."
And that is exactly what it's like up here. Five days a week, our newsroom and production room are abuzz with laughter, emotion and YouTube.
Last week, I had my first really tough experience as editor. I had to look at two staffers -- and close friends -- and tell them they messed up. It's a tough life to know that you have to look people you care about in the eye and say, "Hey, you can do better." But it's the truth. We can do better than factual errors in our editorials or misspellings. We can do better than AP style mistakes that only the sharpest J-schoolers will catch. It's not unusual to find a crying staff member; it's an emotional job sometimes. But despite their threats to quit, they come back for more. Because, like I said, they know they can do better. We want to prove to our readers that we CAN do better.
We don't do this for our pictures on the front page -- although that has happened on accident a couple of times. We would never complain about phone calls, e-mails or letters to the editor because when it comes to our jobs, that's all the recognition we need.
We just keep holding out for comments.
-- Editor in Chief
Liz White
Every morning when people pick up the paper, they are only getting one small part of that newspaper. So much goes into its creation that sometimes it feels like giving birth. The kids up here on the third floor of the Russell House get a unique experience every night. We get to make the news.
It's not exactly "fun" staying here until 2:30 a.m. because the online guys messed up uploads, and we still have to get up the next day to make it to class on time. It's not fun to come into the office and find phone calls and e-mails complaining about every little mistake in the paper.
It may not be fun, but we love what we do, and I wouldn't think of complaining.
Last Wednesday we had our first interest meeting for this semester. As editor in chief, I felt little butterflies in my stomach. I now have the responsibility of generating interest in this wonderful organization. Disappointingly enough, only about 10 people showed up.
How do we get people to understand that what we do is integral in this university setting? How do I explain to people how amazing, life changing and, yes, fun it is to be apart of The Daily Gamecock?
Of being apart of this staff, some of our "Gamecockers" (as we call ourselves) said:
"You will learn to log out of Facebook or suffer the humiliating consequences."
"Job side effects: expanded (obscenity) vocabulary, higher knowledge of world events and random bouts of insomnia."
"I have Andy Sorensen's cell phone number."
"Working for The Daily Gamecock will give you a whole new understanding of group insanity: 2 a.m. sitting in the office on a Thursday night and not being able to think of anywhere else you'd rather be."
And that is exactly what it's like up here. Five days a week, our newsroom and production room are abuzz with laughter, emotion and YouTube.
Last week, I had my first really tough experience as editor. I had to look at two staffers -- and close friends -- and tell them they messed up. It's a tough life to know that you have to look people you care about in the eye and say, "Hey, you can do better." But it's the truth. We can do better than factual errors in our editorials or misspellings. We can do better than AP style mistakes that only the sharpest J-schoolers will catch. It's not unusual to find a crying staff member; it's an emotional job sometimes. But despite their threats to quit, they come back for more. Because, like I said, they know they can do better. We want to prove to our readers that we CAN do better.
We don't do this for our pictures on the front page -- although that has happened on accident a couple of times. We would never complain about phone calls, e-mails or letters to the editor because when it comes to our jobs, that's all the recognition we need.
We just keep holding out for comments.
-- Editor in Chief
Liz White
Jan 25, 2007
Oh here we go again
The photographers lied. I just wanted to get that straight.
But this doesn’t mean the designers are going to come in and try to convince people we are the legs this newspaper stands on.
Everyone already knows that.
I suppose the first thing we need here is an introduction. This blog comes from the design desk, or the unconscious reason you pick up the paper in the mornings. We decide where headlines go, how large photos run and just how good the writer’s stories are going to look. We also spend our time passing judgment on designs of other newspapers, magazines, Web sites, advertisements and anything else we can judge.
Newspaper nights are full of stress, but there is nothing like being back with the people who really understand what you’re passionate about.
Although the night begins with the separate entities of the paper separated in their own cubicles and workspaces, it ends with everybody trickling into the production room to watch designers finalize their work, help copy editors write headlines and of course watch hours on end of “Accepted” and YouTube while we lovingly mock each other.
No single section is the backbone of this paper. We all put our hearts into the work we do, and nobody would make it through the night without the family of staff around to joke and stress with them.
All I know is I would never make it through the night waiting for the confirmation call from our printers at The State (which comes, based roughly on when we send, between the hours of midnight and 3 a.m.) without the company of my favorite editors and staffers.
And of course, the hours of video provided by the internet … I never realized before how thankful I was for dumb people with video cameras and too much free time.
-- Production
Megan Sinclair
Co-Design Director
But this doesn’t mean the designers are going to come in and try to convince people we are the legs this newspaper stands on.
Everyone already knows that.
I suppose the first thing we need here is an introduction. This blog comes from the design desk, or the unconscious reason you pick up the paper in the mornings. We decide where headlines go, how large photos run and just how good the writer’s stories are going to look. We also spend our time passing judgment on designs of other newspapers, magazines, Web sites, advertisements and anything else we can judge.
Newspaper nights are full of stress, but there is nothing like being back with the people who really understand what you’re passionate about.
Although the night begins with the separate entities of the paper separated in their own cubicles and workspaces, it ends with everybody trickling into the production room to watch designers finalize their work, help copy editors write headlines and of course watch hours on end of “Accepted” and YouTube while we lovingly mock each other.
No single section is the backbone of this paper. We all put our hearts into the work we do, and nobody would make it through the night without the family of staff around to joke and stress with them.
All I know is I would never make it through the night waiting for the confirmation call from our printers at The State (which comes, based roughly on when we send, between the hours of midnight and 3 a.m.) without the company of my favorite editors and staffers.
And of course, the hours of video provided by the internet … I never realized before how thankful I was for dumb people with video cameras and too much free time.
-- Production
Megan Sinclair
Co-Design Director
Jan 24, 2007
Photographers do it better.
What to write, what to write.
As you can tell, the photographers aren’t good at writing (well some of us), but, then again, it’s why we are photographers.
To be blunt, and not to stomp the other sections, we are the backbone of the paper.
Think about it. When you look at our newspaper in the stands, one of the very first things you look at are photos on the front page.
While being the backbone of the paper, we are also the most dependent on all the sections of the paper; the stories determine what photos we take. One day we can be rubbing elbows with the state’s elite government officials or standing on the sideline of one of the largest college football stadiums.
Our photographers have met many famous people and attended many sold out concerts just because it’s a story for the paper. The photos of The Daily Gamecock are one of the reasons why this paper is so great.
We are some of the most fun, easygoing people you will meet and we are always willing to help a fellow photographer.
To get off subject, let me tell you a quick story. The Daily Gamecock is one of the few campus organizations that a freshman (like myself) can have a staff position - the assistant photo editor of the tenth largest newspaper in South Carolina.
The Daily Gamecock is a great foundation to have when applying for jobs in the future. You get great experience with Photoshop, meeting deadlines, working in formal and informal environments as well as having a wide variety of photos in your portfolio, from sports to the picture of the day.
Many of our former and current staff members work or are working for the Associated Press, The State Newspaper and many other local and national newspapers.
So come join the photography staff at the Daily Gamecock and see what we’re all about.
--Brandon Davis
Asst. Photo Editor
As you can tell, the photographers aren’t good at writing (well some of us), but, then again, it’s why we are photographers.
To be blunt, and not to stomp the other sections, we are the backbone of the paper.
Think about it. When you look at our newspaper in the stands, one of the very first things you look at are photos on the front page.
While being the backbone of the paper, we are also the most dependent on all the sections of the paper; the stories determine what photos we take. One day we can be rubbing elbows with the state’s elite government officials or standing on the sideline of one of the largest college football stadiums.
Our photographers have met many famous people and attended many sold out concerts just because it’s a story for the paper. The photos of The Daily Gamecock are one of the reasons why this paper is so great.
We are some of the most fun, easygoing people you will meet and we are always willing to help a fellow photographer.
To get off subject, let me tell you a quick story. The Daily Gamecock is one of the few campus organizations that a freshman (like myself) can have a staff position - the assistant photo editor of the tenth largest newspaper in South Carolina.
The Daily Gamecock is a great foundation to have when applying for jobs in the future. You get great experience with Photoshop, meeting deadlines, working in formal and informal environments as well as having a wide variety of photos in your portfolio, from sports to the picture of the day.
Many of our former and current staff members work or are working for the Associated Press, The State Newspaper and many other local and national newspapers.
So come join the photography staff at the Daily Gamecock and see what we’re all about.
--Brandon Davis
Asst. Photo Editor
Jan 23, 2007
Last line of defense
Working as a copy editor can be a thankless job sometimes.
For the most part, we’re an invisible, anonymous part of the newspaper staff. Yet, the job we do is one of the most important. There’s a lot of responsibility resting on our shoulders. We’re the last line of defense for keeping the paper from being sued. We also work hard to keep the stories grammatically correct and error-free. Unfortunately, mistakes do happen. We’re only human, after all. If we miss something and it’s glaring at us from the front page, we won’t hear the end of it. Not for a while, anyway.
Even though not many people know who we are, we love our jobs. It’s a great feeling to put the paper to bed at night and wake up the next morning to see our work stacked up in racks all over campus.
So, if you find a spelling mistake from time to time, please forgive us. Chances are we already know about it.
-- Copy Desk
Lauren Smith
First-year copy editor
For the most part, we’re an invisible, anonymous part of the newspaper staff. Yet, the job we do is one of the most important. There’s a lot of responsibility resting on our shoulders. We’re the last line of defense for keeping the paper from being sued. We also work hard to keep the stories grammatically correct and error-free. Unfortunately, mistakes do happen. We’re only human, after all. If we miss something and it’s glaring at us from the front page, we won’t hear the end of it. Not for a while, anyway.
Even though not many people know who we are, we love our jobs. It’s a great feeling to put the paper to bed at night and wake up the next morning to see our work stacked up in racks all over campus.
So, if you find a spelling mistake from time to time, please forgive us. Chances are we already know about it.
-- Copy Desk
Lauren Smith
First-year copy editor
Jan 22, 2007
First week of production? CHECK! First week of no sleep? CHECK! The first week of pulling my hair out? CHECK!
We've been filling the quoteboard -- a Daily Gamecock tradition that lines our newsroom walls with silly things we say -- up with everything from "sparm" (don't ask) to pulling bazookas out of our pants. And it's only been a week! Thankfully, I've been blessed with a very great group of people to work with. They'll be here through the Red Bulls and the naps. We had our first official (and successful) social event of the semester and have already planned more. There's nothing but love up here in The Daily Gamecock newsroom. That is, until the first few weeks are over and we all go back to driving each other up the walls. The administration doesn't know what's coming!
So until our next blog, this is Viewpoints -- out!
Quote of the moment:
"If I was your bread, would you be my butter?" -"To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything, Julie Newmar" (If you haven't seen this movie, do it.)
-- Alexis Arnone
Viewpoints Editor
So until our next blog, this is Viewpoints -- out!
Quote of the moment:
"If I was your bread, would you be my butter?" -"To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything, Julie Newmar" (If you haven't seen this movie, do it.)
-- Alexis Arnone
Viewpoints Editor
Jan 21, 2007
Sleep deprived on the city beat
After a week of holding down the new Metro section, I'm running on empty. Thank goodness we're having a writers' interest meeting. If I don't recruit some reporters, I'll cry.
The hardest part of my job so far has been trying not to let anyone down. I know a lot is riding on the new section and setting precedent is constantly on my mind.
So far, even though I'm going on nothing but pure adrenaline, it's been a wild ride. One day I was questioning John McCain on his support for the president's new Iraq strategy, the next I was watching elephants march down Lincoln Street.
On the first night of production, I arrived home at 3:30 in the morning with an 8 a.m. class looming over my head. Talk about doubting what I was getting myself into.
I think what keeps me going is the love I have for everyone on staff and the positive feedback I've been getting from everyone who's been reading the section. Bottom line -- I know I'm making a difference.
This week I get to push it to the limit again by covering S.C. politics, improvements in Five Points and homelessness.
Stay tuned to see if I keep my sanity for another week!
-- Metro
Nick Needham
The hardest part of my job so far has been trying not to let anyone down. I know a lot is riding on the new section and setting precedent is constantly on my mind.
So far, even though I'm going on nothing but pure adrenaline, it's been a wild ride. One day I was questioning John McCain on his support for the president's new Iraq strategy, the next I was watching elephants march down Lincoln Street.
On the first night of production, I arrived home at 3:30 in the morning with an 8 a.m. class looming over my head. Talk about doubting what I was getting myself into.
I think what keeps me going is the love I have for everyone on staff and the positive feedback I've been getting from everyone who's been reading the section. Bottom line -- I know I'm making a difference.
This week I get to push it to the limit again by covering S.C. politics, improvements in Five Points and homelessness.
Stay tuned to see if I keep my sanity for another week!
-- Metro
Nick Needham
Jan 18, 2007
One week down, 14 or so to go
With our first week of production for the semester behind us, lots of things come to mind: double doses of Tylenol, 3:30 a.m. calls from the printer at The State, mistakes on the front page (why, Caroline, why?) and editorial-writing writer’s block. And, while all those first-week experiences may be seen as somewhat negative, they helped me to develop my ultimate lesson: stay motivated.
The whole process of putting out a newspaper every weekday can sometimes be a daunting task. I figured this out on the first night -- which also happened to be the night we were producing the very large Welcome Back issue.
Hours later when the paper was completed and we started heading home in the wee hours of the morning, I started to feel like I was in way over my head and maybe I couldn’t handle being managing editor. Well, thank Woodward and Bernstein that every day I worked this week got better and better.
Although it was wrought with mistakes and a few ups and downs, I am walking away from this week with a better sense of my responsibilities and a much-needed boost of confidence. For every spelling error and headline mistake I made, I learned a million lessons more.
Bottom line: it’s only going to get better from here on out. I’ll try my damnedest to do the best I can and that’s all I can do.
-- Managing Editor
Caroline DeSanctis
The whole process of putting out a newspaper every weekday can sometimes be a daunting task. I figured this out on the first night -- which also happened to be the night we were producing the very large Welcome Back issue.
Hours later when the paper was completed and we started heading home in the wee hours of the morning, I started to feel like I was in way over my head and maybe I couldn’t handle being managing editor. Well, thank Woodward and Bernstein that every day I worked this week got better and better.
Although it was wrought with mistakes and a few ups and downs, I am walking away from this week with a better sense of my responsibilities and a much-needed boost of confidence. For every spelling error and headline mistake I made, I learned a million lessons more.
Bottom line: it’s only going to get better from here on out. I’ll try my damnedest to do the best I can and that’s all I can do.
-- Managing Editor
Caroline DeSanctis
Jan 17, 2007
I got your blog right here ...
It’s cheesy, it’s corny, it’s totally overrated and overused. But Aerosmith’s lyrics just say it best: “I’m back in the saddle again.”
After a month-and-a-half-long hiatus, production of what some call a daily fish wrapper resumed again with new leadership, a new section and a slightly new attitude. Whether or not that’s a good or bad thing remains to be seen, but it’s on like Donkey-Kong (another overused phrase I just can’t get enough of).
When you’re sitting in a restaurant in Memphis eating the most ridiculous ribs ever produced and high-fiving other Gamecock fans, you seem to forget about “work.” Those are the fun moments when all the struggles of seemingly-nothing pay and ungodly hours are worth it.
Then you leave the third floor of the Russell House at 1 a.m. and wake up before the sun only to find you’re sitting in front of a man with a giant pencil through his hat (See Doug Fisher’s 8 a.m. Copy Editing Course). Those are the moments when a nice nap and sip of grandpa’s cough syrup would be really, really nice.
The best part about being back in the office is the fact you get to walk around campus all day and see students and faculty reading your work. It’s a huge shot of ego juice to come into class and see a handful of people with the Sports section sitting open on their desk, reading about the latest happenings (no matter how bad they were).
It’s also nice to hang out with seem interesting people. No matter how different you are politically, socially and economically, you still have to put out something that everyone can read just like you and that’s what gets you through the night - that and Teapot delivery service.
Who knows how good this paper is going to be this semester. The wheels could fall off tomorrow for all we know. But one thing is certain - if the saddle goes flying off the horse, it’s taking me with it.
-- Sports
Alex Riley
After a month-and-a-half-long hiatus, production of what some call a daily fish wrapper resumed again with new leadership, a new section and a slightly new attitude. Whether or not that’s a good or bad thing remains to be seen, but it’s on like Donkey-Kong (another overused phrase I just can’t get enough of).
When you’re sitting in a restaurant in Memphis eating the most ridiculous ribs ever produced and high-fiving other Gamecock fans, you seem to forget about “work.” Those are the fun moments when all the struggles of seemingly-nothing pay and ungodly hours are worth it.
Then you leave the third floor of the Russell House at 1 a.m. and wake up before the sun only to find you’re sitting in front of a man with a giant pencil through his hat (See Doug Fisher’s 8 a.m. Copy Editing Course). Those are the moments when a nice nap and sip of grandpa’s cough syrup would be really, really nice.
The best part about being back in the office is the fact you get to walk around campus all day and see students and faculty reading your work. It’s a huge shot of ego juice to come into class and see a handful of people with the Sports section sitting open on their desk, reading about the latest happenings (no matter how bad they were).
It’s also nice to hang out with seem interesting people. No matter how different you are politically, socially and economically, you still have to put out something that everyone can read just like you and that’s what gets you through the night - that and Teapot delivery service.
Who knows how good this paper is going to be this semester. The wheels could fall off tomorrow for all we know. But one thing is certain - if the saddle goes flying off the horse, it’s taking me with it.
-- Sports
Alex Riley
Jan 16, 2007
A Rookie Writes
Few people will ever know the joys and pains of working for a newspaper. Those looking from the outside in generally expect perfection to fall from thin air, but here on the inside, we know that producing any paper takes a multitude of dedicated and talented people who love doing their best to serve their public.
Here at the Mix, we don't have that many people. While all of our staff is talented and very dedicated to The Daily Gamecock, there aren't enough people who work for me to carry off the task of sending out a stellar Entertainment section. And on top of all of that, I'm a rookie editor. I took over The Mix with stars in my eyes, thinking that it was going to be an easy management type position. But, to my chagrin, that is not the case. My job would be difficult with a staff of 50, and I know sometimes the seven or eight people who write for me now can find me a tad overbearing. I call them all constantly to remind them of deadlines, frantically begging them to take pictures or make their content longer, better or easier to read. Sometimes I feel like I'm only making it worse, but I know that soon, when I hire more writers, it'll all get much easier.
So, I am starting to believe again. Right now all of the sections have really small staffs -- Metro has a whopping two people! -- and we're still turning out amazing papers. Everything here is new and fresh, so it's going to be a major adjustment for everyone here at The Daily Gamecock. I know that all of my colleagues here on the third floor are working as a team better than ever -- we all understand the major constraints on our people, time and resources, and instead of fighting and bickering with each other, we're doing everything we can to make each other's jobs just a little easier. And, hopefully, everything we can to continue to make The Daily Gamecock the best part of the student body's daily routine.
-- The Mix
Justin Fenner
Here at the Mix, we don't have that many people. While all of our staff is talented and very dedicated to The Daily Gamecock, there aren't enough people who work for me to carry off the task of sending out a stellar Entertainment section. And on top of all of that, I'm a rookie editor. I took over The Mix with stars in my eyes, thinking that it was going to be an easy management type position. But, to my chagrin, that is not the case. My job would be difficult with a staff of 50, and I know sometimes the seven or eight people who write for me now can find me a tad overbearing. I call them all constantly to remind them of deadlines, frantically begging them to take pictures or make their content longer, better or easier to read. Sometimes I feel like I'm only making it worse, but I know that soon, when I hire more writers, it'll all get much easier.
So, I am starting to believe again. Right now all of the sections have really small staffs -- Metro has a whopping two people! -- and we're still turning out amazing papers. Everything here is new and fresh, so it's going to be a major adjustment for everyone here at The Daily Gamecock. I know that all of my colleagues here on the third floor are working as a team better than ever -- we all understand the major constraints on our people, time and resources, and instead of fighting and bickering with each other, we're doing everything we can to make each other's jobs just a little easier. And, hopefully, everything we can to continue to make The Daily Gamecock the best part of the student body's daily routine.
-- The Mix
Justin Fenner
Jan 15, 2007
Welcome to Doin' It Daily
In today's digital world, we're bombarded with constant information. The Internet has forever changed the way we receive our news. Our cell phones and iPods give us what we want when we want it.
At The Daily Gamecock, we take all this information and break it down to what you need to know. People often wonder why we choose to do certain stories and not others.
Doin' It Daily is our attempt to help our readers see into the daily workings of the paper. From writing editorials to page design, we hope to give students a window on the newsroom.
Our editors and designers will post daily entries on anything newspaper related.
This is a chance for our readers to participate in the effort of making the paper and provide us with feedback. As an open forum, Doin' It Daily will improve communication from story idea to publication.
Hopefully, going daily was just the beginning.
At The Daily Gamecock, we take all this information and break it down to what you need to know. People often wonder why we choose to do certain stories and not others.
Doin' It Daily is our attempt to help our readers see into the daily workings of the paper. From writing editorials to page design, we hope to give students a window on the newsroom.
Our editors and designers will post daily entries on anything newspaper related.
This is a chance for our readers to participate in the effort of making the paper and provide us with feedback. As an open forum, Doin' It Daily will improve communication from story idea to publication.
Hopefully, going daily was just the beginning.
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