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