Stop the presses! Three words I thought were old-fashioned media jargon only uttered in movies. Never could I have imagined that those words would float around The Nicholls Worth newsroom as they did on Sept. 29, 2004. In the middle of a newspaper staff pizza pow-wow that Wednesday, I received a phone call from a co-worker who wondered what was going on outside of Calecas Hall that was big enough to garner the attention of HTV trucks and numerous police cars. I grabbed my notepad and ran, literally ran, with a staff photographer down the street. Once I stopped huffing and puffing and could finally catch my breath, I found out that a student had been carjacked. On the Nicholls campus. In broad daylight. Definitely a campus incident I never could have conjured in my mind.
That was only the start of two years filled with stories I never could have anticipated. Hurricanes. Athletic department scandals. Budget cuts. The first Southland Conference football title. The mascot competition cancellation. The still-nonexistent recreation center. The Westboro Baptist Church protest. There was no day that I could wake up and know exactly where my job would lead me.
But oddly enough, those major events were not the biggest surprises my two-year term as editor brought me. The real shock was how much every aspect of being editor would change me, not just as a journalist, but more importantly as a person.
The students: Lord knows I had lots of absurd misconceptions when I started Nicholls. I was dedicated to being the “perfect” student: making As on every exam, writing at least four pages more than that required, pulling all-nighters at Ellender Memorial Library. I refused to let myself become one of those “corrupted” college students who rushed a sorority, hung out in the Bollinger Memorial Student Union and pulled all-nighters at the Library downtown. It was because of the students I was forced to interact with, and only because of them, that I wound up having any college social life. While trying to keep them informed, I gained an even greater lesson.
I have enjoyed student feedback and criticism most of all. After all, it is the students who have been my bosses-whom I have tried to serve each week. I know I could not provide everything you asked for or desired. No, I could not publish more police reports, and no, I could not print fictionalized reports when reality was kind of dull. However, it is my hope that you at least found interest in one article each week.
The sources: Ever wonder what it would be like to walk up to someone you have never met before and ask them a question that they believe is none of your business? Then imagine explaining to them that their answer will be published for thousands to read. Not always an easy task. I learned early on that most of my sources would fall into one of two categories: those who knew information but were not at liberty to discuss it and those who were at liberty to discuss the issue but knew little information. Getting the information I needed from the right sources took a lot of diplomacy, persistence and sheer luck.
What I never anticipated was that my most relied-upon source would be someone I had gone to school with for 12 years. I was relieved that as editor I already had a close relationship with Student Government Association President Damian Breaux. That was until incidents occurred that led me to publicly criticize him. Try facing someone you considered a friend after publishing your negative opinion of him and not feel like a traitor. It came with the territory, and, luckily, I believe it led us to gain more respect for each other’s positions.
The administration: But I cannot complain about there being numerous incidents in which no source was willing to spill the beans. All thanks to University President Stephen Hulbert. While I certainly have not supported every decision he has made and have been extremely public with my disappointment in some cases, this newspaper would not have been as complete, as strong, as controversial without his attitude about disclosing as much information as possible. His leadership played a large role in any successes of this newspaper during the past two years, despite it not always painting the University in the best light.
The coworkers: Thirty-two pages would not be nearly enough for me to describe how all the people I have worked with during the past four years have influenced me. Who else would buy me Red Bull and Snapple on long nights? Who else would be willing to redo things until they were close to my perfection standards, even if it meant working until 3 a.m.? I do not know what I can say about the staffers I have worked with without getting extremely corny and sappy. They were the ones who drove me to the point of insanity, brought me back to reality and then laughed about it with me later.
The mentors: Again, I cannot say enough about those who have provided me with the advice and support needed to work in a management capacity for four years at The Nicholls Worth. The instructors I have had in not only mass communication courses, but other disciplines as well, challenged me daily to go beyond what was expected. However, I am sure most of my staff members hate you guys for making me “Hitler,” as they affectionately referred to me.
I would have quit a long time ago had it not been for Student Publications director Tonya Danos and business manager Anne Toloudis. More than any two individuals on this campus, I will miss them the most. I know that as long as they are here, the newspaper will be strong no matter who the editor may be.
Commencement ceremonies will be celebrated on May 20. And sure, I will walk across the stage with the other spring graduates. I will fidget in my chair during the guest speaker’s remarks. I will roll my eyes at my mother who will feel the need to take my photo with every student I ever met.
But in my heart, my real graduation was today.
