In my last blog, I basically told everyone that you could never possibly understand just how life works as a student-journalist or journalist-student.
But in the spirit of letting everyone know how life is going, I’d like to offer you a look at what was my Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2007. Whirlwind? Maybe. Stressful? Sure. But a heck of a time? Damn skippy.
Start the day off with the sound of my good friend Dangerboy Dunn of Rock 93.5 waking me up on the old alarm clock at the lovely hour of 6:30 a.m. Shower, glass of Mountain Dew and out the door for Doug Fisher’s copy editing course. Nothing like the sweet topic of brevity to wake you up in the morning.
A sausage biscuit at 9 a.m. is just enough to tide you over until lunch as you fight through headlines in the copy-editing lab later that morning. But a nice lunch at D’s Wings (complete with something and Coke) makes the afternoons a whole lot easier to tolerate.
Now normally I’d go sit through my English class on Wednesday, but I had a lot of work to get done today. So, I trudge back to the car (after making the decision to stay out of class less than 50-yards from the BA building) and head home. Gotta get that resume ready for tomorrow’s job fair.
So, after adding some stuff to the old list of credentials, I pack things up and head to the Colonial Center for the excitement of college basketball. Only this time, there is an exciting game going on.
USC against Vandy is nothing short of a nail biter, one that leaves Carolina fans on the bitter end of things once again. The Commodores manage to sneak out a 99-90 win in OT.
But that’s not the sad part.
The sad part is having to watch Tre’ Kelley walk off the floor one last time. This kid did everything for USC and should be SEC Player of the Year. Yet his last moment on his home floor (minus any NIT bid) is a losing game.
After listening to coach Dave Odom make his final push for Kelley’s award status, it’s up to the newsroom where I write this blog, wait on my writers game recap and prepare for the J-School Career Fair tomorrow at 9 a.m. Follow that up with Ray Tanner’s press conference, two classes and having to get ready to travel to Clemson for baseball this weekend, and you have a hell of a 36-hour run.
-- Alex Riley
One tired Sports Editor
Feb 28, 2007
Feb 26, 2007
From one extreme to another
My transition from full-time writer to part-time editor has been fairly smooth, and I am quickly finding my role in the newsroom. I thought it would be nice to offer some newcomer insight.
First, I have to shamelessly advertise to any print majors or anyone else that has thought about working for The Daily Gamecock. This is the best damn job you'll ever have in college. I looked at some of the posts before mine and read all the criticism and sob stories about the stress involved. I'll be the first to admit that writing a 500-plus word story about a Residence Hall Association meeting where ABSOLUTELY NOTHING happened in less than an hour is not always fun, especially when your editor is harassing you when you are 30 seconds past your deadline. I love you Jackie!
But with that taken into consideration, who else can say that they get paid to hang out with their friends in an informal setting, mulling over the intricacies of style and grammar, with a month of paid vacation? OK, I made up the last part, but if you're on the fence, don't hesitate. If you have a busy schedule, we can still work with you. And if nothing else, do it for the experience. If you're a print major who hasn't worked for some kind of publication prior to graduation, good luck competing for jobs.
Now, on to some deeper issues that I've been contemplating for a while: I've heard numerous complaints about the practicality of The Daily Gamecock and a recent date -- who will remain anonymous -- called The Gamecock a "waste of paper." Needless to say, we won't be tying the knot any time soon.
I feel like it's so easy to criticize one of your only sources of campus news when it suits you, while overlooking all the things that make The Gamecock crucial on campus. When student elections were coming up, where did most people turn to find the candidate's platforms? When the results of the election were contested, how did people find out? When a Nobel Prize-winning professor gives a lecture, where can you find a detailed account the next day? We may not always run stories that are specifically relevant or interesting to everyone on campus, but we have a diverse readership. It's important that a newspaper not cater to any one person.
The diversity of the readership is also why we have sections. By categorizing our material, students can flip to whatever section they like best. Not all college papers are like this. UNC Chapel Hill's newspaper, for example, has no sections. Now, I'm not hating on the school that rejected me, but that's just confusing -- and stupid.
So next time you pick up the paper, realize that it is the product of people -- people who make mistakes and people with a diverse range of experiences and views. It is not intended to be a comprehensive summary of campus life. Take it for what it’s worth, but don't take it for granted.
--Ryan James
Assistant News Editor
First, I have to shamelessly advertise to any print majors or anyone else that has thought about working for The Daily Gamecock. This is the best damn job you'll ever have in college. I looked at some of the posts before mine and read all the criticism and sob stories about the stress involved. I'll be the first to admit that writing a 500-plus word story about a Residence Hall Association meeting where ABSOLUTELY NOTHING happened in less than an hour is not always fun, especially when your editor is harassing you when you are 30 seconds past your deadline. I love you Jackie!
But with that taken into consideration, who else can say that they get paid to hang out with their friends in an informal setting, mulling over the intricacies of style and grammar, with a month of paid vacation? OK, I made up the last part, but if you're on the fence, don't hesitate. If you have a busy schedule, we can still work with you. And if nothing else, do it for the experience. If you're a print major who hasn't worked for some kind of publication prior to graduation, good luck competing for jobs.
Now, on to some deeper issues that I've been contemplating for a while: I've heard numerous complaints about the practicality of The Daily Gamecock and a recent date -- who will remain anonymous -- called The Gamecock a "waste of paper." Needless to say, we won't be tying the knot any time soon.
I feel like it's so easy to criticize one of your only sources of campus news when it suits you, while overlooking all the things that make The Gamecock crucial on campus. When student elections were coming up, where did most people turn to find the candidate's platforms? When the results of the election were contested, how did people find out? When a Nobel Prize-winning professor gives a lecture, where can you find a detailed account the next day? We may not always run stories that are specifically relevant or interesting to everyone on campus, but we have a diverse readership. It's important that a newspaper not cater to any one person.
The diversity of the readership is also why we have sections. By categorizing our material, students can flip to whatever section they like best. Not all college papers are like this. UNC Chapel Hill's newspaper, for example, has no sections. Now, I'm not hating on the school that rejected me, but that's just confusing -- and stupid.
So next time you pick up the paper, realize that it is the product of people -- people who make mistakes and people with a diverse range of experiences and views. It is not intended to be a comprehensive summary of campus life. Take it for what it’s worth, but don't take it for granted.
--Ryan James
Assistant News Editor
Feb 25, 2007
Life Support
I think it's crazy that February has already come and gone.
We were all so worried at the beginning: classes, deadlines, homework assignments -- the works. Now, it's almost half over.
We have all gotten into the groove and things are getting easier.
The crazier thing, however, is that I wish it wasn't going by so fast.
I walked into my new newspaper role this semester hoping that I would get used to everything quickly and run a smooth ship when I could.
There have been plenty of bumps along the way, both personal and professional, but I wouldn't have had it any other way.
I think it was those rough spots -- the places where I wasn't at my best or had obstacles to overcome -- where I truly feel like I learned the most. It's the things that you would rather not go through that you need to endure; when you come out on the other side, you're glad you survived and glad you fought through it.
I am glad to have such a wonderful group of friends that are here to support me in and outside of the newsroom.
Thanks for being there, guys. I only hope that I can be there for all of you in the same way.
-- Caroline DeSanctis
Managing Editor
We were all so worried at the beginning: classes, deadlines, homework assignments -- the works. Now, it's almost half over.
We have all gotten into the groove and things are getting easier.
The crazier thing, however, is that I wish it wasn't going by so fast.
I walked into my new newspaper role this semester hoping that I would get used to everything quickly and run a smooth ship when I could.
There have been plenty of bumps along the way, both personal and professional, but I wouldn't have had it any other way.
I think it was those rough spots -- the places where I wasn't at my best or had obstacles to overcome -- where I truly feel like I learned the most. It's the things that you would rather not go through that you need to endure; when you come out on the other side, you're glad you survived and glad you fought through it.
I am glad to have such a wonderful group of friends that are here to support me in and outside of the newsroom.
Thanks for being there, guys. I only hope that I can be there for all of you in the same way.
-- Caroline DeSanctis
Managing Editor
Feb 22, 2007
Here's how it goes
It’s Friday morning, to be technical, at 1:15 a.m., officially past deadline by an hour and fifteen minutes. We’re waiting on News. We’re cranky and in need of refreshments. Most kids are out at the bars. Josh is playing a ukulele, and Greg is watching YouTube videos of skateboarders. Mike is pacing around the room ready to hit the town or go to sleep --whatever sounds better in another hour. Kelly just finished trimming News and we’re sending it now. Since the production staff decided to rebel and not write today’s wonderful blog, we’ve decided to give an account of the typical production night which runs from Sunday through Thursday.
5 p.m. -- Section editors come in to check their mailboxes for stories, scan the art folder for photos and chat about random happenings or Britney Spears. In the office, Liz checks her e-mails and phone messages. Sometimes the guys from SGTV come in to mingle. The newsroom is abuzz.
5:30 p.m. -- Editorial board meets to discuss what to write about. “What’s our opinion on something?” we ask ourselves. Alexis comes in with a story from CNN.com about a Chewbacca that attacked someone at an amusement park and then said, “Nobody tells this Wookie what to do.” With nothing to say we debate energy drinks instead. Most of the time we tell our own experiences before we get frustrated and decide we’ve had enough --the editor can get 224 words out of that.
6 p.m. -- Copy editors begin to trickle in. They scan the whiteboard to see what section they want to read. The newsroom gets louder. Page designers wander in, too. They check the board to see how many stories each section has before getting assignments from the design directors.
6:30 p.m. -- Editors go to dinner. Grab food from the GMP, or some place, and return to the conference room to watch whatever random show is on TV.
7 p.m. -- Stories make their way from copy desk to Slot where the copy desk chief reads them and forwards them through to the editor’s folder.
8 p.m. -- The television begins to distract the newsroom buzz. Stories are slowly making their way into the Onpage folder.
10 p.m. -- Pages start to get finished and copy editors take their places to write headlines. Editors look over shoulders anxiously. Usually deadlines are given. “You’ve got 20 minutes.” That can be a lot of pressure.
11 p.m. -- Trimming. The copy desk chief and editor scan the pages for mistakes, correcting headlines, cutlines and jumps. The online guys come in to put finished pages online.
12 a.m. -- Deadline. Sometimes it comes and goes while others are packing up, getting ready to go.
And the rest of the night is downhill from there. You get the picture. It’s quite a process. Maybe we’ll continue this next Thursday night after another missed deadline and another late night. But until then, this is The Daily Gamecock Thursday late night staff. OUT.
It’s 1:50 a.m.
5 p.m. -- Section editors come in to check their mailboxes for stories, scan the art folder for photos and chat about random happenings or Britney Spears. In the office, Liz checks her e-mails and phone messages. Sometimes the guys from SGTV come in to mingle. The newsroom is abuzz.
5:30 p.m. -- Editorial board meets to discuss what to write about. “What’s our opinion on something?” we ask ourselves. Alexis comes in with a story from CNN.com about a Chewbacca that attacked someone at an amusement park and then said, “Nobody tells this Wookie what to do.” With nothing to say we debate energy drinks instead. Most of the time we tell our own experiences before we get frustrated and decide we’ve had enough --the editor can get 224 words out of that.
6 p.m. -- Copy editors begin to trickle in. They scan the whiteboard to see what section they want to read. The newsroom gets louder. Page designers wander in, too. They check the board to see how many stories each section has before getting assignments from the design directors.
6:30 p.m. -- Editors go to dinner. Grab food from the GMP, or some place, and return to the conference room to watch whatever random show is on TV.
7 p.m. -- Stories make their way from copy desk to Slot where the copy desk chief reads them and forwards them through to the editor’s folder.
8 p.m. -- The television begins to distract the newsroom buzz. Stories are slowly making their way into the Onpage folder.
10 p.m. -- Pages start to get finished and copy editors take their places to write headlines. Editors look over shoulders anxiously. Usually deadlines are given. “You’ve got 20 minutes.” That can be a lot of pressure.
11 p.m. -- Trimming. The copy desk chief and editor scan the pages for mistakes, correcting headlines, cutlines and jumps. The online guys come in to put finished pages online.
12 a.m. -- Deadline. Sometimes it comes and goes while others are packing up, getting ready to go.
And the rest of the night is downhill from there. You get the picture. It’s quite a process. Maybe we’ll continue this next Thursday night after another missed deadline and another late night. But until then, this is The Daily Gamecock Thursday late night staff. OUT.
It’s 1:50 a.m.
Feb 21, 2007
Don't hate, appreciate!
'Tis time for photo to shine again in the blog. However, we have been shining more brightly over the past two weeks than ever before.
Our department has received numerous compliments on how our photos have changed in a week's time. From the production team to the people who read our paper everyday, I have been stopped and told how they love our photos and to tell you the truth, I am pretty damn happy and proud of my boss, my photographers and of course myself.
These guys have put up with a lot -- from not knowing where stuff is to being told their photos aren't going to cut it anymore. They have embraced with open arms the new shooting styles we are presenting to you the reader.
Now our pictures really do say a thousand words - no, wait, a million words -- that's how much we have improved. Again, we covered so many things in two weeks, from future presidents to soon taking pictures here of models for a huge thing in The Mix.
I hope you guys are enjoying our pictures, so let us know how we are doing, and help take us to the magical candy mountain so we can frolic with Charlie and the Leopluradon. Shun all you non-believers that think the photo department can not take some award-winning shots.
-- Brandon Davis
--Asst Photo Editor
Our department has received numerous compliments on how our photos have changed in a week's time. From the production team to the people who read our paper everyday, I have been stopped and told how they love our photos and to tell you the truth, I am pretty damn happy and proud of my boss, my photographers and of course myself.
These guys have put up with a lot -- from not knowing where stuff is to being told their photos aren't going to cut it anymore. They have embraced with open arms the new shooting styles we are presenting to you the reader.
Now our pictures really do say a thousand words - no, wait, a million words -- that's how much we have improved. Again, we covered so many things in two weeks, from future presidents to soon taking pictures here of models for a huge thing in The Mix.
I hope you guys are enjoying our pictures, so let us know how we are doing, and help take us to the magical candy mountain so we can frolic with Charlie and the Leopluradon. Shun all you non-believers that think the photo department can not take some award-winning shots.
-- Brandon Davis
--Asst Photo Editor
Feb 20, 2007
Let us eat cake
I’d like to give a shout-out to my fellow Daily Gamecocker Josh Rabon, who now has the reputation of losing multiple eating contests to a girl -- me.
I’ll be the first to say that I’m no copy-editing expert, and that the job can be very stressful.
We have been known to joke around with each other and find any means necessary to entertain ourselves to alleviate the pressure.
Downtime in the production room consists of YouTube, Facebook and the occasional over-achiever studying in the corner.
Being one of the few staff members who gets the privilege of working into the wee hours of the morning, I realize firsthand that it takes more than caffeine to get my blood pumping and eyes in focus.
I am a strong proponent of the sugar coma, especially when induced by miniature, frosted cakes.
And this is where the eating contests come in.
It all began with me and Josh hovering over the refreshment table at a party one weekend. Watching me select a cupcake, he naively challenged me to an eating duel. With one swift flick of the wrist, the competition was over and our tradition was off to the races.
Cake, egg rolls, pumpkin bread -- what have you -- Josh tries to raise the stakes by bringing different mediums to the table. This, of course, never affects the outcome.
I normally don’t consider myself to be a highly competitive person -- but then again, who doesn’t like to win?
Surrounded by our coworkers, late night competitions always spark interest. Although there have been many close calls and disputes, the true champion still reigns.
No matter how many times I complain about going to work, how I wish my afternoon nap could last just a little bit longer and how I dread getting reprimanded for an error on the front page -- I know that at the end of the day, I can always take a cupcake and eat my way to newsroom glory.
--Copy desk
Kelly LaCorte
Assistant copy desk chief
I’ll be the first to say that I’m no copy-editing expert, and that the job can be very stressful.
We have been known to joke around with each other and find any means necessary to entertain ourselves to alleviate the pressure.
Downtime in the production room consists of YouTube, Facebook and the occasional over-achiever studying in the corner.
Being one of the few staff members who gets the privilege of working into the wee hours of the morning, I realize firsthand that it takes more than caffeine to get my blood pumping and eyes in focus.
I am a strong proponent of the sugar coma, especially when induced by miniature, frosted cakes.
And this is where the eating contests come in.
It all began with me and Josh hovering over the refreshment table at a party one weekend. Watching me select a cupcake, he naively challenged me to an eating duel. With one swift flick of the wrist, the competition was over and our tradition was off to the races.
Cake, egg rolls, pumpkin bread -- what have you -- Josh tries to raise the stakes by bringing different mediums to the table. This, of course, never affects the outcome.
I normally don’t consider myself to be a highly competitive person -- but then again, who doesn’t like to win?
Surrounded by our coworkers, late night competitions always spark interest. Although there have been many close calls and disputes, the true champion still reigns.
No matter how many times I complain about going to work, how I wish my afternoon nap could last just a little bit longer and how I dread getting reprimanded for an error on the front page -- I know that at the end of the day, I can always take a cupcake and eat my way to newsroom glory.
--Copy desk
Kelly LaCorte
Assistant copy desk chief
Feb 19, 2007
Horseplay
I am part of a minority here at The Daily Gamecock. Yes, that's right -- your typical, middle-class white girl is part of a minority.
I am one of the few people on staff who has yet to be horse's assed.
Horse's assed -- the dreaded disease that attacks the innocent Facebook accounts of copy editors and writers alike.
We have a nice, fun tradition up here in the newsroom, one that keeps all kinds of staffers on their toes and brings the rest of us all sorts of amusement.
If you leave your Facebook unattended and logged in on your computer, it could fall victim to the horse's ass.
I don't know who started this tradition, but it cracks me up. It's always fun to see someone's look of horror when they return after dinner to a giggling newsroom, only to realize they have left their Facebook up for all to see. And then, the stream of expletives that comes when they refresh their page and find their default picture changed to the nice, round derriere of a horse.
OK, so it's kind of childish, especially when people start screwing with their profile information and make posts to other people with the horse's ass as their picture. But it's still hilarious.
Even worse, if you are caught with your Facebook open more than three times, you get an upgrade -- a very awkward, disgusting photo of a pig's penis. A few of our staffers have reached this one several times.
It's just another one of those random things that makes all this worthwhile -- the long hours, the stressful deadlines and the articles and columns that come in 200 words too short. It's something that keeps us from bitching each other out -- most of the time.
It's a lot of fun ... especially if you've never been a victim.
So if you ever find yourself up here at The Daily Gamecock newsroom and you check your Facebook, look out.
Always remember, and never forget.
-- Viewpoints
Rita Koch
Assistant Viewpoints Editor
I am one of the few people on staff who has yet to be horse's assed.
Horse's assed -- the dreaded disease that attacks the innocent Facebook accounts of copy editors and writers alike.
We have a nice, fun tradition up here in the newsroom, one that keeps all kinds of staffers on their toes and brings the rest of us all sorts of amusement.
If you leave your Facebook unattended and logged in on your computer, it could fall victim to the horse's ass.
I don't know who started this tradition, but it cracks me up. It's always fun to see someone's look of horror when they return after dinner to a giggling newsroom, only to realize they have left their Facebook up for all to see. And then, the stream of expletives that comes when they refresh their page and find their default picture changed to the nice, round derriere of a horse.
OK, so it's kind of childish, especially when people start screwing with their profile information and make posts to other people with the horse's ass as their picture. But it's still hilarious.
Even worse, if you are caught with your Facebook open more than three times, you get an upgrade -- a very awkward, disgusting photo of a pig's penis. A few of our staffers have reached this one several times.
It's just another one of those random things that makes all this worthwhile -- the long hours, the stressful deadlines and the articles and columns that come in 200 words too short. It's something that keeps us from bitching each other out -- most of the time.
It's a lot of fun ... especially if you've never been a victim.
So if you ever find yourself up here at The Daily Gamecock newsroom and you check your Facebook, look out.
Always remember, and never forget.
-- Viewpoints
Rita Koch
Assistant Viewpoints Editor
Feb 18, 2007
Maybe we're crazy
Apparently this blog has become the place where we scare away potential future members of the staff by writing about how stressful our jobs are.
Let me reassure you, we are the crazy ones that decided we wanted to take on these positions of power on the staff. There are some sane people who realized they could be a part of this and not sacrifice every other part of their lives.
So don't be scared; you can write for any of the sections and not become a newspaper zombie.
We are the crazy ones.
Take me for example; I wanted to be up here. I knew the horror stories of being here until 3 a.m. and getting yelled at via e-mail (yes, you can do that) for some mistake we should have caught. But I didn't care. I still wanted to be here. I wanted to be here when the quotes were put on the quote board and when everyone gets a little too much caffeine in their systems and starts bouncing off the walls. I hated hearing something on Monday (either good or bad) that happened on Friday that I didn't know about.
Now I am here two nights a week, and you know what? It's the most fun I've ever had at a job.
Yeah, people get cranky and have bad days, and there are times where this is the last place I want to be. But I come up here anyway because for some reason it's what I do, and I don't know what to do with myself when I'm not here. And I know the rest of the staff feels the same way, because they are up here all the time, too.
Maybe it's because I am generally an optimist, but I always look forward to coming to the third floor of Russell House and the miniscule chance that someone will write and tell us we did something right.
So if anyone who reads this is put off by the fact that all we do is complain about how stressed we are, please don't be scared.
You can write for the paper and not become a crazy person.
-- Metro
Gina Vasselli
Asst. Metro Editor
Let me reassure you, we are the crazy ones that decided we wanted to take on these positions of power on the staff. There are some sane people who realized they could be a part of this and not sacrifice every other part of their lives.
So don't be scared; you can write for any of the sections and not become a newspaper zombie.
We are the crazy ones.
Take me for example; I wanted to be up here. I knew the horror stories of being here until 3 a.m. and getting yelled at via e-mail (yes, you can do that) for some mistake we should have caught. But I didn't care. I still wanted to be here. I wanted to be here when the quotes were put on the quote board and when everyone gets a little too much caffeine in their systems and starts bouncing off the walls. I hated hearing something on Monday (either good or bad) that happened on Friday that I didn't know about.
Now I am here two nights a week, and you know what? It's the most fun I've ever had at a job.
Yeah, people get cranky and have bad days, and there are times where this is the last place I want to be. But I come up here anyway because for some reason it's what I do, and I don't know what to do with myself when I'm not here. And I know the rest of the staff feels the same way, because they are up here all the time, too.
Maybe it's because I am generally an optimist, but I always look forward to coming to the third floor of Russell House and the miniscule chance that someone will write and tell us we did something right.
So if anyone who reads this is put off by the fact that all we do is complain about how stressed we are, please don't be scared.
You can write for the paper and not become a crazy person.
-- Metro
Gina Vasselli
Asst. Metro Editor
Feb 15, 2007
Where did all this trash come from?
The past few weeks everyone has written about how stressful this job is. Sure, sometimes I find myself making pro and con lists in my office with the door shut while playing Bob Dylan or Kings of Leon over and over again in hopes that these problems will melt away. They don’t, but that doesn’t matter.
Our wall of shame, the bulletin board where we post our many mistakes, was filling up quickly, and at last, the staff mutinied to have the humiliation taken down. We’ve replaced it with silly photos of ourselves. But that doesn’t matter either.
We now have a staff list with over 80 people on it. That includes everyone from the writers to the photographers to the editors. That is quite a long list considering a year ago, it wouldn’t have exceeded 50.
But the most notable thing to change this semester has nothing to do with editorial boards that last an hour and nothing gets done, or sulking, snappy staff members that need sleep more than news. The biggest difference is the overflowing trashcans in both the newsroom and the production room, not to mention the tiny one in the conference room.
Pandini’s pizza boxes, styrofoam containers from the GMP’s various foodstops, Chik-fil-A sandwich wrappers and those blue and green starred 20 oz. cups have invaded our work space.
We look like a bunch of pigs up here, and not just because we’re sabotage-loving slackers who change co-workers’ profile pictures to pigs. Sometimes, the garbage doesn’t get emptied and its smell wafts into my office and suffocates me. Not even Dylan can ward that off. These are the days I’m thankful I have a door I can shut and lock. On days when I come home to a less than pleasing odor, Johnathon, the No. 1 online guy, and I have to bag up the trash and put it out in the lobby. It’s pretty gross, and I feel bad for anyone that has to pick that up. But we’re starving news kids, apparently.
I’ve sat here for hours, munching on my fries from the grill, making a slideshow for online and trying to pinpoint the culprit of our mystery newsroom garbage can debacle. Hmm.
Zach Toman is the first copy editor to arrive, and helps Johnathon and I carry out the trash. Then copy editor Jason Spiro strides in nonchalantly. Then Mary Pina, a writer for the Mix, bounces around the corner. Justin Fenner, The Mix editor, comes around the corner and takes his seat in the back. Design Director Megan Sinclair and I are in the office discussing Shakespeare. Design Director No. 2 Mike Conway comes in with a video camera shooting a project about love for his class. He chose us. Nick Needham, the Metro editor, walks around the corner in a suit; Gina Vasselli, his assistant, hops in, too. Every now and then, Alex Riley, the Sports editor, makes an appearance.
Then I realize why our trash is overflowing everyday. Our entire staff box has been in this room today for at least one meal. They’ve had gyros, pizzas, burgers, fries, salads and bagels, not to mention the numerous Starbucks coffees and frappacinos. But it’s only 3 p.m. and production hours start at 6 p.m. We’ll be here well into the wee hours of the night, and more food wrappers will find their way into our already full trashcan.
No wonder by midnight people have started putting boxes in piles on the floor. We do so much more than make news up here. Most of the time, we’re comparing our “assets,” recounting embarrassing moments from the weekend, discussing Shakespeare and, of course, eating. We don’t go “home.” This is our home. I have a comfortable bed on my sofa, if I shut the blinds and wear my sunglasses. We’ve got a great living room in the conference room where the TV keeps us updated on “American Idol.” There’s a bathroom down the hall, although I really hope no one ever tries to shower in there. And this newsroom, and sometimes the production room -- but only after 8 p.m. -- is our home. Coming up here for a break from that bustling world below is the only solace that we need. I couldn’t think of a better place to enjoy my Chik-fil-A than sandwiched between the Mix and News desks.
And from the looks of our trash problem, the rest of the staff agrees.
-- Liz White
Editor in chief
Our wall of shame, the bulletin board where we post our many mistakes, was filling up quickly, and at last, the staff mutinied to have the humiliation taken down. We’ve replaced it with silly photos of ourselves. But that doesn’t matter either.
We now have a staff list with over 80 people on it. That includes everyone from the writers to the photographers to the editors. That is quite a long list considering a year ago, it wouldn’t have exceeded 50.
But the most notable thing to change this semester has nothing to do with editorial boards that last an hour and nothing gets done, or sulking, snappy staff members that need sleep more than news. The biggest difference is the overflowing trashcans in both the newsroom and the production room, not to mention the tiny one in the conference room.
Pandini’s pizza boxes, styrofoam containers from the GMP’s various foodstops, Chik-fil-A sandwich wrappers and those blue and green starred 20 oz. cups have invaded our work space.
We look like a bunch of pigs up here, and not just because we’re sabotage-loving slackers who change co-workers’ profile pictures to pigs. Sometimes, the garbage doesn’t get emptied and its smell wafts into my office and suffocates me. Not even Dylan can ward that off. These are the days I’m thankful I have a door I can shut and lock. On days when I come home to a less than pleasing odor, Johnathon, the No. 1 online guy, and I have to bag up the trash and put it out in the lobby. It’s pretty gross, and I feel bad for anyone that has to pick that up. But we’re starving news kids, apparently.
I’ve sat here for hours, munching on my fries from the grill, making a slideshow for online and trying to pinpoint the culprit of our mystery newsroom garbage can debacle. Hmm.
Zach Toman is the first copy editor to arrive, and helps Johnathon and I carry out the trash. Then copy editor Jason Spiro strides in nonchalantly. Then Mary Pina, a writer for the Mix, bounces around the corner. Justin Fenner, The Mix editor, comes around the corner and takes his seat in the back. Design Director Megan Sinclair and I are in the office discussing Shakespeare. Design Director No. 2 Mike Conway comes in with a video camera shooting a project about love for his class. He chose us. Nick Needham, the Metro editor, walks around the corner in a suit; Gina Vasselli, his assistant, hops in, too. Every now and then, Alex Riley, the Sports editor, makes an appearance.
Then I realize why our trash is overflowing everyday. Our entire staff box has been in this room today for at least one meal. They’ve had gyros, pizzas, burgers, fries, salads and bagels, not to mention the numerous Starbucks coffees and frappacinos. But it’s only 3 p.m. and production hours start at 6 p.m. We’ll be here well into the wee hours of the night, and more food wrappers will find their way into our already full trashcan.
No wonder by midnight people have started putting boxes in piles on the floor. We do so much more than make news up here. Most of the time, we’re comparing our “assets,” recounting embarrassing moments from the weekend, discussing Shakespeare and, of course, eating. We don’t go “home.” This is our home. I have a comfortable bed on my sofa, if I shut the blinds and wear my sunglasses. We’ve got a great living room in the conference room where the TV keeps us updated on “American Idol.” There’s a bathroom down the hall, although I really hope no one ever tries to shower in there. And this newsroom, and sometimes the production room -- but only after 8 p.m. -- is our home. Coming up here for a break from that bustling world below is the only solace that we need. I couldn’t think of a better place to enjoy my Chik-fil-A than sandwiched between the Mix and News desks.
And from the looks of our trash problem, the rest of the staff agrees.
-- Liz White
Editor in chief
Feb 14, 2007
This is getting really, really old
Blogging -- the final frontier. These are the …
Oh, who am I kidding.
This whole blog thing is getting stupid. How many times can I tell people that I get no sleep, have no love life, struggle to stay afloat and wish that things were totally different?
Apparently, we can do this. Twenty-five times since January.
So what am I going to write about today?
Who knows and who cares. This is a job. You read that right, a job. Not a club, not a hobby. It’s a job. My job is to cover sports and sports-related stories. I enjoy it; hell, I love it, I live for it.
Anything else is just unnecessary and a waste of my time. Period.
Sorry to all the people who actually read this thing or those who thought this was a good way to look into the lives of people doing a daily newspaper. I’ve got a newsflash for you -- it’s not.
It’s like being on a football team. No matter how many times someone tells you all the laps they ran or weights they lifted it means nothing until you do it yourself.
I used to have another life in which I was a bouncer at a club. Hard to believe, right? I loved it. It was high stress, long hours and draining, but, while you question why a bouncer acts the way he does when he tosses you from a bar, you’ll never believe what they go through night in and night out.
So blogging to tell you about how much stress or fun working at The Daily Gamecock is seems to be a waste of my time. Cause until you leave the Russell House at 2 a.m. and are ready to never see a newspaper again, you couldn’t possibly understand.
-- Sports
Alex Riley
Sports editor
Oh, who am I kidding.
This whole blog thing is getting stupid. How many times can I tell people that I get no sleep, have no love life, struggle to stay afloat and wish that things were totally different?
Apparently, we can do this. Twenty-five times since January.
So what am I going to write about today?
Who knows and who cares. This is a job. You read that right, a job. Not a club, not a hobby. It’s a job. My job is to cover sports and sports-related stories. I enjoy it; hell, I love it, I live for it.
Anything else is just unnecessary and a waste of my time. Period.
Sorry to all the people who actually read this thing or those who thought this was a good way to look into the lives of people doing a daily newspaper. I’ve got a newsflash for you -- it’s not.
It’s like being on a football team. No matter how many times someone tells you all the laps they ran or weights they lifted it means nothing until you do it yourself.
I used to have another life in which I was a bouncer at a club. Hard to believe, right? I loved it. It was high stress, long hours and draining, but, while you question why a bouncer acts the way he does when he tosses you from a bar, you’ll never believe what they go through night in and night out.
So blogging to tell you about how much stress or fun working at The Daily Gamecock is seems to be a waste of my time. Cause until you leave the Russell House at 2 a.m. and are ready to never see a newspaper again, you couldn’t possibly understand.
-- Sports
Alex Riley
Sports editor
Feb 13, 2007
Low fat, high stress
When I came home from work a few nights ago, my suitemates were being a little loud. The walls in my dorm are pretty thin, and when I hear them making noise, I can usually just go next door and ask them to be quiet and there’s no problem.
But after a few weeks in my position here as entertainment editor, I was a little crazy, a little angry, and more than a little high-strung. I heard one of the boys make some loud, obscene noise, and I just snapped. I jumped out of bed, banged on their door, and a few well-used expletives and one dramatic door slam later, I was out in the hallway, seething my way back to my room.
But one of them stopped me and, in his way, told me that my behavior was unnecessary and rude. And he was right to do so.
I was fed up with having to ask them time and time again to quiet down, but I approached the situation the wrong way. And I think that might have something to do with my job here.
As much as I love my job, there are a few drawbacks to it. The hours are long, people complain about their workload, and I barely have time to myself anymore. Still, in my twisted and sadistic pursuit of journalistic excellence, I come back every day to make sure my section of the paper is on track. This means that I forgo eating in favor of editing a poorly written story, field phone calls and e-mails from frenetic public relations managers who want their bands, events or untalented children in the paper, and listen to thousands of civilians – non-journalists – who wouldn’t know the first thing about doing my job commenting every day about how they’d do things differently if they were working at the paper.
Meanwhile, I’m losing weight, every part of my body is tired, and I have no time for my friends.
But I believe in this newspaper – I believe that we few here at The Daily Gamecock do more for the student body every day than any other institution (with the exception of maybe Carolina Dining). And I love the people I work with.
So, I hope my suitemates can forgive my rudeness. I hope my roommate can forgive me for coming back to our room and waking him up in the wee hours of the morning. And I hope my friends can forgive me for not having any time for them. But most of all, I hope that I learn how to cope with my responsibilities and not take my frustrations out on those around me.
-- The Mix
Justin Fenner
The Mix Editor
But after a few weeks in my position here as entertainment editor, I was a little crazy, a little angry, and more than a little high-strung. I heard one of the boys make some loud, obscene noise, and I just snapped. I jumped out of bed, banged on their door, and a few well-used expletives and one dramatic door slam later, I was out in the hallway, seething my way back to my room.
But one of them stopped me and, in his way, told me that my behavior was unnecessary and rude. And he was right to do so.
I was fed up with having to ask them time and time again to quiet down, but I approached the situation the wrong way. And I think that might have something to do with my job here.
As much as I love my job, there are a few drawbacks to it. The hours are long, people complain about their workload, and I barely have time to myself anymore. Still, in my twisted and sadistic pursuit of journalistic excellence, I come back every day to make sure my section of the paper is on track. This means that I forgo eating in favor of editing a poorly written story, field phone calls and e-mails from frenetic public relations managers who want their bands, events or untalented children in the paper, and listen to thousands of civilians – non-journalists – who wouldn’t know the first thing about doing my job commenting every day about how they’d do things differently if they were working at the paper.
Meanwhile, I’m losing weight, every part of my body is tired, and I have no time for my friends.
But I believe in this newspaper – I believe that we few here at The Daily Gamecock do more for the student body every day than any other institution (with the exception of maybe Carolina Dining). And I love the people I work with.
So, I hope my suitemates can forgive my rudeness. I hope my roommate can forgive me for coming back to our room and waking him up in the wee hours of the morning. And I hope my friends can forgive me for not having any time for them. But most of all, I hope that I learn how to cope with my responsibilities and not take my frustrations out on those around me.
-- The Mix
Justin Fenner
The Mix Editor
Feb 12, 2007
Damsel in distress
The summer stresses me out.
I remember when the summers meant going on vacation to Florida and California, laying out, road trips to Texas, going to concerts, typical free-time stuff. But then those summers ended, and I became obsessed with getting a good internship related to my major (journalism) to beef up my resume.
Last year, I got really lucky and was told I got into a national internship program the week before I left to study abroad in Spain. The entire time all the other study abroad students were worrying about coordinating an internship from across the ocean, I was e-mailing my contact about how much I would be getting paid.
This year, I'm not so lucky. It is now mid-February and I have absolutely no idea what I will be doing this summer. Although I would die to live in New York City or Chicago (depleting all my 13 years of savings), that rational little chunk of my brain is telling me I won't be.
And so I scour the Internet looking for summer internship programs for magazines or newspapers. And I nurture that little bead of hope where I envision myself walking around New York City, iced latte in hand navigating the busy sidewalks. But I am also ready to live somewhere else, somewhere new, and work on a newspaper. Bottom line, as long as I can get an internship related to journalism, I will be happy. I just wish, for the sake of my sanity, I had my plans nailed down for the summer right now.
-- News
Chelsea Hadaway
News Editor
I remember when the summers meant going on vacation to Florida and California, laying out, road trips to Texas, going to concerts, typical free-time stuff. But then those summers ended, and I became obsessed with getting a good internship related to my major (journalism) to beef up my resume.
Last year, I got really lucky and was told I got into a national internship program the week before I left to study abroad in Spain. The entire time all the other study abroad students were worrying about coordinating an internship from across the ocean, I was e-mailing my contact about how much I would be getting paid.
This year, I'm not so lucky. It is now mid-February and I have absolutely no idea what I will be doing this summer. Although I would die to live in New York City or Chicago (depleting all my 13 years of savings), that rational little chunk of my brain is telling me I won't be.
And so I scour the Internet looking for summer internship programs for magazines or newspapers. And I nurture that little bead of hope where I envision myself walking around New York City, iced latte in hand navigating the busy sidewalks. But I am also ready to live somewhere else, somewhere new, and work on a newspaper. Bottom line, as long as I can get an internship related to journalism, I will be happy. I just wish, for the sake of my sanity, I had my plans nailed down for the summer right now.
-- News
Chelsea Hadaway
News Editor
Feb 11, 2007
Thank the pencil gods
For those unfamiliar with the dark cloud that supposedly hangs over the J-school’s copy-editing course, it is rumored to be the most difficult of journalism classes, discouraging many a New York Times-hopeful from pursuing a career any further.
Well, I’ve got news for all those skittish worriers: I LOVE that class.
I was given my share of warnings upon my entry into Doug Fisher’s classroom; I was told of embarrassing moments in front of the entire class, death by bad lab grades and half of the students dropping before the end of the first week.
In spite of all that, however, I proudly bring my multitude of books to class every Monday and Wednesday at 8 a.m. and soak in everything I can.
Just call me the Copy Editing Sponge.
While I am very aware that I do not know everything there is to know about proper style, grammar marks or headline writing, for me, it’s one of those things that I enjoy learning about because I know that if I do well in this class I may be eligible for a scholarship.
Oh yeah – and it might help me to be a better journalist.
I just want to say thanks, Doug.
Thanks for putting up with me and three other staff members in the same class, for answering all of my redundant questions and not treating me like the novice I am in comparison.
-- Caroline DeSanctis
Managing Editor
Well, I’ve got news for all those skittish worriers: I LOVE that class.
I was given my share of warnings upon my entry into Doug Fisher’s classroom; I was told of embarrassing moments in front of the entire class, death by bad lab grades and half of the students dropping before the end of the first week.
In spite of all that, however, I proudly bring my multitude of books to class every Monday and Wednesday at 8 a.m. and soak in everything I can.
Just call me the Copy Editing Sponge.
While I am very aware that I do not know everything there is to know about proper style, grammar marks or headline writing, for me, it’s one of those things that I enjoy learning about because I know that if I do well in this class I may be eligible for a scholarship.
Oh yeah – and it might help me to be a better journalist.
I just want to say thanks, Doug.
Thanks for putting up with me and three other staff members in the same class, for answering all of my redundant questions and not treating me like the novice I am in comparison.
-- Caroline DeSanctis
Managing Editor
Feb 8, 2007
Scrabble Wars
I've never felt so sadistic or so good. With each deft movement of my hands, they would wince. I slowed up a little bit, to prolong their agony. It was like watching a window break in slow motion. You know you've done it - stringing out someone else's pain, watching their spirits crumble... or not. It's a somewhat regular occurrence up here. But I'm getting ahead of myself.
Like most things, it started innocently enough. Some good-natured ribbing, the occasional barb tossed at editorial board. A past editor-in-chief took it to a whole new level when he invoked the "the guys I used to play with were really good" trash-talk. It had to stop. Dissing me is one thing, but when you say your boys can beat mine, you have crossed the line in the dust covering the newsroom floor.
The wild-west duel music never played. We drew anyways. If it weren't for toilets, he may have pulled it out. 73 points and the win. Take that, Van Haren. I remember watching him slowly lay down "refiles" to win weeks later. Payback really sucks.
We have enjoyed many scrabble bouts in the newsroom, and I hope we see a good many more. I'm no journalist, and the only thing I've learned for sure is the learning curve is steep up here. We've made errors. And we definitely frustrate each other. Scrabble sadism is one thing, but I'd bet we've collectively had enough violent visions of each other to make Saw 4 - bonus footage and all.
Yet we stick it out. Our biggest strength isn't our content. Or our design. Or our copy editors. After the visions of head-bashing dance out of our heads, we stick it out. There will always be tension - this is life, after all. We do our best to keep it in perspective. The newspaper is important. We know. We've heard it a lot. But compared to what?
I'll be gone soon. I won't remember misspelling a headline. But I still plan to play "vexation" against my former cohorts as regularly as possible. We have some of the best journalists in the school up here, but it's important we don't hold each other up to superhuman standards. This doesn't mean it's no big deal to make mistakes, but we can't be angry or judgmental. It's the only way we can improve - or just get by. So far this semester, for better and for worse, we have held each other up when it mattered. We've stuck it out.
It's only fair, to us and to each other. We don't know everything. The AP stylebook is thick. Probably two inches, maybe more. Even the best writers are afraid of "quixotic." It's worth 100 points, easy.
-- Joshua Rabon
Asst. Online Editor
Like most things, it started innocently enough. Some good-natured ribbing, the occasional barb tossed at editorial board. A past editor-in-chief took it to a whole new level when he invoked the "the guys I used to play with were really good" trash-talk. It had to stop. Dissing me is one thing, but when you say your boys can beat mine, you have crossed the line in the dust covering the newsroom floor.
The wild-west duel music never played. We drew anyways. If it weren't for toilets, he may have pulled it out. 73 points and the win. Take that, Van Haren. I remember watching him slowly lay down "refiles" to win weeks later. Payback really sucks.
We have enjoyed many scrabble bouts in the newsroom, and I hope we see a good many more. I'm no journalist, and the only thing I've learned for sure is the learning curve is steep up here. We've made errors. And we definitely frustrate each other. Scrabble sadism is one thing, but I'd bet we've collectively had enough violent visions of each other to make Saw 4 - bonus footage and all.
Yet we stick it out. Our biggest strength isn't our content. Or our design. Or our copy editors. After the visions of head-bashing dance out of our heads, we stick it out. There will always be tension - this is life, after all. We do our best to keep it in perspective. The newspaper is important. We know. We've heard it a lot. But compared to what?
I'll be gone soon. I won't remember misspelling a headline. But I still plan to play "vexation" against my former cohorts as regularly as possible. We have some of the best journalists in the school up here, but it's important we don't hold each other up to superhuman standards. This doesn't mean it's no big deal to make mistakes, but we can't be angry or judgmental. It's the only way we can improve - or just get by. So far this semester, for better and for worse, we have held each other up when it mattered. We've stuck it out.
It's only fair, to us and to each other. We don't know everything. The AP stylebook is thick. Probably two inches, maybe more. Even the best writers are afraid of "quixotic." It's worth 100 points, easy.
-- Joshua Rabon
Asst. Online Editor
Feb 7, 2007
A Snow White and the Seven Dwarves mentality
It’s amazing, but we are heading full steam into ending our first month of production for this semester. It has been rough but fun -- as always. We have added some people to our staff since then and, of course, taken many different photos and changed our shooting styles. I have seen a lot of potential in our staff this year. I think we will turn around our department and, who knows, maybe win some awards. Well, we still have about four, maybe five months left so we have a lot to look forward to.
Some big series projects are in the works, and we are still looking for members to join our lovely, now well-experienced, photography staff.
I must put in my two cents: this semester as an editor has been amazing; I have nearly doubled my number of friends in less than a month. Now that is amazing.
Well, I can’t write as much as when I was a virgin assistant photo editor; now I am older, wiser and a bit more tired. I picture in my mind the shoots for the day in my sleep -- now that’s living The Daily Gamecock. My hair is grayer and I have a few more wrinkles, yet I still come to this job singing, “hi-ho, hi-ho, it's off to work we go.”
Well I must depart. Till next time, fair readers.
- Brandon Davis
Asst. Photo Editor
Some big series projects are in the works, and we are still looking for members to join our lovely, now well-experienced, photography staff.
I must put in my two cents: this semester as an editor has been amazing; I have nearly doubled my number of friends in less than a month. Now that is amazing.
Well, I can’t write as much as when I was a virgin assistant photo editor; now I am older, wiser and a bit more tired. I picture in my mind the shoots for the day in my sleep -- now that’s living The Daily Gamecock. My hair is grayer and I have a few more wrinkles, yet I still come to this job singing, “hi-ho, hi-ho, it's off to work we go.”
Well I must depart. Till next time, fair readers.
- Brandon Davis
Asst. Photo Editor
Feb 6, 2007
For those about to slot, we salute you
“One of the great things about being a copy editor is freedom from vulgar desire for public recognition.” – Testy Copy Editor’s Web site
I’m not the type of person who requires a lot of attention. In fact, I usually go out of my way to avoid it. That, combined with a meticulous nature, is the reason I abandoned dreams of becoming a reporter in favor of an editing career.
Copy editors don’t enjoy total anonymity, though. We get plenty of attention. Unfortunately, it’s usually negative. When a mistake makes it into print -- not an uncommon occurrence at a college newspaper -- it’s probably our fault.
Many of the copy editors here at The Daily Gamecock don’t have a lot of experience. Only a couple of them have taken a copy-editing course. Most aren’t even journalism students, yet they all take their positions seriously and show up to work every night with a desire to learn that amazes me. And they keep coming back, despite all of the criticism they receive.
I’ve been in their shoes. I know how frustrating it is to work really hard on a headline, only to have some higher-up come along and change it. I know what it’s like to miss something small, such as a spelling error, because the story had much bigger issues that needed to be handled first.
And I understand what it feels like to leave the paper at 3 a.m. thinking you did a really great job, only to find an enormous flub on the front page the next morning.
But I also know what a rush it is to nail a perfect headline on the first try and be congratulated by everyone in the newsroom for a job well done. I understand how satisfying it is to catch little errors that make a really big difference.
I feel proud knowing that reporters have left here with clips that have helped them get jobs at major newspapers across the country thanks in part to my editing.
Copy-editing is a tough job. It’s not something you can learn overnight. There are hundreds of little rules and regulations you have to know. I want to thank my staff for taking up such a difficult -- and sometimes thankless -- task.
Keep up the good work. We’re getting better and better.
-- Copy Desk
Aaron Kidd
Copy Desk Chief
I’m not the type of person who requires a lot of attention. In fact, I usually go out of my way to avoid it. That, combined with a meticulous nature, is the reason I abandoned dreams of becoming a reporter in favor of an editing career.
Copy editors don’t enjoy total anonymity, though. We get plenty of attention. Unfortunately, it’s usually negative. When a mistake makes it into print -- not an uncommon occurrence at a college newspaper -- it’s probably our fault.
Many of the copy editors here at The Daily Gamecock don’t have a lot of experience. Only a couple of them have taken a copy-editing course. Most aren’t even journalism students, yet they all take their positions seriously and show up to work every night with a desire to learn that amazes me. And they keep coming back, despite all of the criticism they receive.
I’ve been in their shoes. I know how frustrating it is to work really hard on a headline, only to have some higher-up come along and change it. I know what it’s like to miss something small, such as a spelling error, because the story had much bigger issues that needed to be handled first.
And I understand what it feels like to leave the paper at 3 a.m. thinking you did a really great job, only to find an enormous flub on the front page the next morning.
But I also know what a rush it is to nail a perfect headline on the first try and be congratulated by everyone in the newsroom for a job well done. I understand how satisfying it is to catch little errors that make a really big difference.
I feel proud knowing that reporters have left here with clips that have helped them get jobs at major newspapers across the country thanks in part to my editing.
Copy-editing is a tough job. It’s not something you can learn overnight. There are hundreds of little rules and regulations you have to know. I want to thank my staff for taking up such a difficult -- and sometimes thankless -- task.
Keep up the good work. We’re getting better and better.
-- Copy Desk
Aaron Kidd
Copy Desk Chief
Feb 5, 2007
It’s so hard to say goodbye
This will be my second – and last – blog of the semester.
I resigned as News editor two weeks ago today and through the last few days I’ve struggled with my feelings about this decision.
Like the other students who work here, I wear many hats outside of this paper, including a sparkly blue one.
I am a resident adviser for Honors students, a full-time student (albeit barely) and a girlfriend. I stay beyond busy.
After a year of juggling my life, I have decided to put the balls down and move on. It saddens me that I had to leave my position, but hey, housing is expensive on campus.
There will be many things I will miss about The Daily Gamecock. Our crazy parties, live bands at WUSC that make editing almost unbearable, writing crazy headlines and screaming obscenities down the hall when stories were late, short or missing.
I would not give up these memories for the world. I met my best friends here and experienced things I never could have dreamed of. I even got subpoenaed.
I am confident in the abilities of my replacement, Chelsea Hadaway. She will do amazing things and I leave the section in her capable hands.
I might not be News editor but I’m far from gone from these offices. I will still cover elections and hopefully will become a page designer. That is, if Mike Conway lets me near InDesign for more than 5 seconds.
Besides, what else am I going to do with all this free time?
-- Jackie Alexander
Former News editor
I resigned as News editor two weeks ago today and through the last few days I’ve struggled with my feelings about this decision.
Like the other students who work here, I wear many hats outside of this paper, including a sparkly blue one.
I am a resident adviser for Honors students, a full-time student (albeit barely) and a girlfriend. I stay beyond busy.
After a year of juggling my life, I have decided to put the balls down and move on. It saddens me that I had to leave my position, but hey, housing is expensive on campus.
There will be many things I will miss about The Daily Gamecock. Our crazy parties, live bands at WUSC that make editing almost unbearable, writing crazy headlines and screaming obscenities down the hall when stories were late, short or missing.
I would not give up these memories for the world. I met my best friends here and experienced things I never could have dreamed of. I even got subpoenaed.
I am confident in the abilities of my replacement, Chelsea Hadaway. She will do amazing things and I leave the section in her capable hands.
I might not be News editor but I’m far from gone from these offices. I will still cover elections and hopefully will become a page designer. That is, if Mike Conway lets me near InDesign for more than 5 seconds.
Besides, what else am I going to do with all this free time?
-- Jackie Alexander
Former News editor
Loving every minute of it
My life is insane.
I’m taking the typical 15 hours but all on the same days. When I’m not in class, I’m working as a barista at Starbucks in the Russell House.
And almost every single night, I end up here in the newsroom.
Someone asked me the other day, as we tried to plan Kornegay’s podcast project around the rest of our lives, if The Daily Gamecock took over my life when I started here.
Absolutely.
But, it’s only because I let it. Even last year, as just a columnist, I was up here a lot. Now, as the assistant Viewpoints editor, I’m up here running the section two, occasionally three times a week. I’ve also started designing on Tuesday nights.
But for some reason, I can’t get enough of this place. I always look forward to coming here, and I usually come in early to get stuff done.
Maybe it’s the people. Maybe it’s scaring the wits out of one of our design directors every night or our quick runs to Marble Slab before we sit and make fun of “American Idol.”
Whatever it is, I love it. I love all the people I work with, and I love the jobs that I do. I’m getting a lot of great experience in a much better environment than most students get the opportunity to.
So yeah, I may be running around like a mad woman trying to get everything done and spending more time in lines for coffee than I spend sleeping, but it’s worth it -- every single minute of it.
-- Viewpoints
Rita Koch
Assistant Viewpoints editor
I’m taking the typical 15 hours but all on the same days. When I’m not in class, I’m working as a barista at Starbucks in the Russell House.
And almost every single night, I end up here in the newsroom.
Someone asked me the other day, as we tried to plan Kornegay’s podcast project around the rest of our lives, if The Daily Gamecock took over my life when I started here.
Absolutely.
But, it’s only because I let it. Even last year, as just a columnist, I was up here a lot. Now, as the assistant Viewpoints editor, I’m up here running the section two, occasionally three times a week. I’ve also started designing on Tuesday nights.
But for some reason, I can’t get enough of this place. I always look forward to coming here, and I usually come in early to get stuff done.
Maybe it’s the people. Maybe it’s scaring the wits out of one of our design directors every night or our quick runs to Marble Slab before we sit and make fun of “American Idol.”
Whatever it is, I love it. I love all the people I work with, and I love the jobs that I do. I’m getting a lot of great experience in a much better environment than most students get the opportunity to.
So yeah, I may be running around like a mad woman trying to get everything done and spending more time in lines for coffee than I spend sleeping, but it’s worth it -- every single minute of it.
-- Viewpoints
Rita Koch
Assistant Viewpoints editor
Feb 4, 2007
Bend it like ... Bernstein?
On a positive note, I'm glad that everyone here on the paper is so versatile and flexible.
It doesn't matter if you write for Metro, you can still write a movie review for The Mix. You could be writing the editorial one night and writing a Viewpoints column the next. It's all about mixing it up and taking turns.
Everyone up here is learning every day; it can only help us to interchange our writing roles and try new things.
We've been trying a lot of new things this semester. This blog, for one, is a step in the right, more-relevant direction. Instead of just sitting here, denying the decline in kids our age reading the paper, we have kept up with the times and attempted to keep our readership interested.
It's exciting, and it can only get better from here.
As the weeks start to fly by, it's starting to get comfortable. We're starting to get to know our routines and starting to re-ignite our bonds, in the newsroom and out.
We've added new members to the team at our interest meetings and that just makes me widen my smile because I know that the best is yet to come.
-- Caroline DeSanctis
Managing Editor
It doesn't matter if you write for Metro, you can still write a movie review for The Mix. You could be writing the editorial one night and writing a Viewpoints column the next. It's all about mixing it up and taking turns.
Everyone up here is learning every day; it can only help us to interchange our writing roles and try new things.
We've been trying a lot of new things this semester. This blog, for one, is a step in the right, more-relevant direction. Instead of just sitting here, denying the decline in kids our age reading the paper, we have kept up with the times and attempted to keep our readership interested.
It's exciting, and it can only get better from here.
As the weeks start to fly by, it's starting to get comfortable. We're starting to get to know our routines and starting to re-ignite our bonds, in the newsroom and out.
We've added new members to the team at our interest meetings and that just makes me widen my smile because I know that the best is yet to come.
-- Caroline DeSanctis
Managing Editor
Have I lost my sanity at last?
Remember when I told you to keep track of how long my sanity would last?
Well, it ran out earlier this week. Thanks largely in part to catching strep throat and missing class for three days. My life will consist of reading from textbooks for the rest of the week to catch up in coursework.
It’s only February, and I already wish the year was over so I could go somewhere exotic for the summer. Well, far from Columbia anyway. I feel that because of such a small staff and lack of interest from kids on campus, the news sections should merge to save the strength of our journalism.
Unless this is done soon, I fear the paper will suffer not just from bad design, but bad journalism as well.
With coursework getting heavy and the start of my internship, I can’t keep going at the rate I’ve been going. My health over the past week has shown me that I can only do so much.
Working for a college paper is interesting. I get to see the things my professors warn against in class. It makes me wonder if I was the only one who was listening that day.
Change defines our lives, a refusal to change in today’s world, especially for newspapers, can prove fatal. We’ll see how this one continues to adapt.
-- Metro
Nick Needham
Metro Editor
Well, it ran out earlier this week. Thanks largely in part to catching strep throat and missing class for three days. My life will consist of reading from textbooks for the rest of the week to catch up in coursework.
It’s only February, and I already wish the year was over so I could go somewhere exotic for the summer. Well, far from Columbia anyway. I feel that because of such a small staff and lack of interest from kids on campus, the news sections should merge to save the strength of our journalism.
Unless this is done soon, I fear the paper will suffer not just from bad design, but bad journalism as well.
With coursework getting heavy and the start of my internship, I can’t keep going at the rate I’ve been going. My health over the past week has shown me that I can only do so much.
Working for a college paper is interesting. I get to see the things my professors warn against in class. It makes me wonder if I was the only one who was listening that day.
Change defines our lives, a refusal to change in today’s world, especially for newspapers, can prove fatal. We’ll see how this one continues to adapt.
-- Metro
Nick Needham
Metro Editor
Feb 1, 2007
Has the Earth’s gravitational pull shifted to my shoulders?
I only started working here a little more than a year ago. I started in Fall 2005 as a copy editor, terrified and unsure. And now I’m sitting in this big office, looking through the glass window at the busy staff working and not working to get the paper out. I have a big window that fills the office with sunlight on beautiful days. I can see all the way down past the Bull Street parking garage to Williams-Brice Stadium. When I look out the window at the Russell House patio below, crowds of prospective students are shown across campus. They have campus maps, brochures, Starbucks coffee mugs and The Daily Gamecock.
That’s when I realize what I do matters. I was sitting in class and the kids around me flip through the paper. My teacher is reading it while we work in groups.
Monday we got a phone call from a lady with the CLASSIC ballet, not the CITY ballet. Who knew Columbia had two ballet groups? My inbox is full daily with people who want to say something about an article we ran. It might not be wonderful to hear that you made a mistake, but at least we know people are reading.
As I look out my set of windows, one looking out at the staff and another at the people below me, I realize how HUGE this is. The weight of it hits me like I’m Atlas with the weight of the world on my shoulders.
Tomorrow I will be a part of a roundtable to discuss football ticket distribution and then I have a meeting with someone from student government. It feels bigger now -- the weight of it.
We almost got sued this week. Somehow, I sidestepped that one. We messed up headlines, and I got endless e-mails from student government officials.
On a rainy day, I passed a paper smudged into the puddles, lost to the rain. A friend asked if that made me sad. No, not really. Someone had to have picked up the paper and moved it to its liquid fate. Someone went through the effort to drop it there, and some how that makes what I’m doing up here so disconnected from those people out the window feel even heavier.
Yeah. This is a giant responsibility.
And so much fun.
-- Editor
Liz White
That’s when I realize what I do matters. I was sitting in class and the kids around me flip through the paper. My teacher is reading it while we work in groups.
Monday we got a phone call from a lady with the CLASSIC ballet, not the CITY ballet. Who knew Columbia had two ballet groups? My inbox is full daily with people who want to say something about an article we ran. It might not be wonderful to hear that you made a mistake, but at least we know people are reading.
As I look out my set of windows, one looking out at the staff and another at the people below me, I realize how HUGE this is. The weight of it hits me like I’m Atlas with the weight of the world on my shoulders.
Tomorrow I will be a part of a roundtable to discuss football ticket distribution and then I have a meeting with someone from student government. It feels bigger now -- the weight of it.
We almost got sued this week. Somehow, I sidestepped that one. We messed up headlines, and I got endless e-mails from student government officials.
On a rainy day, I passed a paper smudged into the puddles, lost to the rain. A friend asked if that made me sad. No, not really. Someone had to have picked up the paper and moved it to its liquid fate. Someone went through the effort to drop it there, and some how that makes what I’m doing up here so disconnected from those people out the window feel even heavier.
Yeah. This is a giant responsibility.
And so much fun.
-- Editor
Liz White
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