2008 Woodie Awards
notes from the desk: The Campus, signing off
Kathryn Flagg and Zamir Ahmed
Issue date: 5/8/08 Section: Opinions
When we started this job in September, we set out with one goal in mind - don't get fired. Needless to say, after 25 issues and eight months at the helm of the white whale we call The Campus, we can say "Mission Accomplished." Consider this our letters of resignation.
If we had a second goal for this year, however, it was to do our best to produce not only a respectable college newspaper, but also to encourage the sort of camaraderie that keeps slightly delusional editors coming back for Tuesday night after sleepless Tuesday night. Of course, we faced our fair share of challenges along the way. The merry-go-round of new Features editors kept us on our toes, as did a frantic scramble in September for a new publisher.
There was also the problem of what to do with disgruntled - and occasionally hot-headed - editors (yes, Scott, you did kick that chair). Katie's fear of confrontations was matched by Zamir's love of them, however, leading Zamir, really a softy at heart, to usually solve such problems by caving to whiny editors demanding production-night candy.
But eventually we hit our stride, as Zamir's re-invention of the "The Newlywed Game" let the staff get to know one another better (and let us know that we should have made the editors sign the Honor Code beforehand). The ill-fated attempt at "Two Truths and a Lie" allowed editors the chance to tell embarrassing stories about themselves, though Tamara showed her disdain for authority by revealing an embarassing "truth" pertaining to one fellow editor and an infamous night at The Bunker.
These jovial times were not just limited to our nights of "mandatory fun," though, as we turned the office into more than just place of work. Hours of distraction were provided by visits from Jay's ever-growing dog, Addison. We fished for compliments on Middlebury Confessional as aspiring Campus photographer Anthony conducted impromptu photo sessions. And on a more serious note, our often-heated Tuesday night discussions of the editorial offered a chance to engage in debate over the issues facing our community (and pointed out some of our own hypocrisies as we eyed at the accumulation of unreturned Proctor glasses in the office).
If we had a second goal for this year, however, it was to do our best to produce not only a respectable college newspaper, but also to encourage the sort of camaraderie that keeps slightly delusional editors coming back for Tuesday night after sleepless Tuesday night. Of course, we faced our fair share of challenges along the way. The merry-go-round of new Features editors kept us on our toes, as did a frantic scramble in September for a new publisher.
There was also the problem of what to do with disgruntled - and occasionally hot-headed - editors (yes, Scott, you did kick that chair). Katie's fear of confrontations was matched by Zamir's love of them, however, leading Zamir, really a softy at heart, to usually solve such problems by caving to whiny editors demanding production-night candy.
But eventually we hit our stride, as Zamir's re-invention of the "The Newlywed Game" let the staff get to know one another better (and let us know that we should have made the editors sign the Honor Code beforehand). The ill-fated attempt at "Two Truths and a Lie" allowed editors the chance to tell embarrassing stories about themselves, though Tamara showed her disdain for authority by revealing an embarassing "truth" pertaining to one fellow editor and an infamous night at The Bunker.
These jovial times were not just limited to our nights of "mandatory fun," though, as we turned the office into more than just place of work. Hours of distraction were provided by visits from Jay's ever-growing dog, Addison. We fished for compliments on Middlebury Confessional as aspiring Campus photographer Anthony conducted impromptu photo sessions. And on a more serious note, our often-heated Tuesday night discussions of the editorial offered a chance to engage in debate over the issues facing our community (and pointed out some of our own hypocrisies as we eyed at the accumulation of unreturned Proctor glasses in the office).
Viewing Comments 1 - 1 of 1
nancy crawford
posted 5/12/08 @ 8:57 PM EST
Dear Katie and Zamir--
Congratulations on an outstanding year! I know that you took The Campus to new and much better level! I have been consistently impressed with the quality of the coverage(and I am not a sports fan. (Continued…)
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