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