Update... A year later

I'm not sure how over a year has passed, but it has. I hadn't forgotten about this blog exactly, I've just kept making excuses not to remember to use it. A lot has changed, as would be expected. Quick list: 1. My great grandmother died at 99. I graduated from college a week and a few days later. 2. I interned as a reporter/photographer for a local paper in Richmond, VA and fell further in love with the town, region, and the people who lived there. 3. I applied for lots of jobs, in lots of fields, not sure where I was headed. 4. My subletting lease ran out and two weeks later I had a job interview lined up in Dallas for the job I now have. I spent a day fretting over taking the job interview or accepting a job in Richmond but decided to follow my journalistic dreams of picas, grids, and photoshop action sequences (oh my!!). 5. I've been home six months and haven't stopped waking up every morning amazed that I'm here and doing what I wanted to do. Conclusion: I've been very blessed. Yet, as happy and grateful I am to be here right now, I'm still struggling to readjust to Texas/home. I hadn't realized how much I'd changed since leaving. I'm less tolerant of drama, or maybe I should say I'm more aware of not wanting to be around tons of drama. I'd gotten really good at being far away from my family and our issues. It's always a little harder to hide when you're in the same city as everyone. I think that's good though. It's really important that we all challenge ourselves to face what we dislike confronting be that religious, political, or social differiences, or just cleaning out our cars. In some way I think my journey toward finding equilibrium had/has to include coming home. I'm asking myself questions that I wouldn't necessarily have asked with such immediacy if I had been on another coast or even continent. God does indeed work in mysterious ways. As I struggle with religion and other more mundane but no less identity-shaping issues, I take comfort in faith. I have to, have to, have to believe that I'll end up where I'm supposed to, and right now that is right here in the Big D. Here's to figuring out this next chapter of, gulp, adult-hood. T.T.F.N. P.S. I promise to try not to forget to remember to post here occasionally. :)

It was the best of times: A farewell from the chief

(To be published in this week's Collegian).

Tonight was my first official night off the job, as in The Collegian staff met for the weekly Sunday meeting and I wasn't there. I've still got a few lingering jobs left over, to write some new bylaws, get some contracts I've been trying to get approved for months approved, and continue to help with circulation, but otherwise, I'm done.

All year I kept thinking, I just have to make it to March, and now March is here and I wish it was September again. I definitely had a love hate relationship with my job as editor-in-chief, but I wouldn't have given it up for anything.

I knew when I weighed the decision last spring whether to become editor or not that the year was going to be a long one. I knew I wouldn’t be sleeping much, I’d be stressed, and I would struggle to keep my perfectionist tendencies under check. I didn’t expect to have as much fun as I did, learn as much from my intelligent and creative staff members as I did, or be as proud as I am.

This past year has not been the easiest, but it has been full of variety. My staff covered everything from a hurricane, an earthquake, and Obama’s visit during the first few weeks of school, to Jepson’s choice to elect another controversial leader-in-residence and the shots fired by campus police just before Winter Break.

We reported on head football coach Latrell Scott’s resignation after a second DUI, the change to the lodge attendance policy, and the arrest just a few weeks ago of offensive lineman Jimmy Speros. We introduced you to the new dean of the School of Arts and Sciences, Kathleen Skerrett, remembered the victims of 9/11 in a special section dedicated to the tenth anniversary, and reported on the recent mourning of alumnus Michael Ice.

Our aim as a paper is to provide a forum for free expression, to inform the campus community about issues that concern this community, and to teach our staffers what it means to be journalists, deadlines and all.

If there’s one thing I can say about this year is that I believe we met those goals.

I can’t thank my wonderful staffers enough for how much time they put into their jobs, their incredible teamwork, and talent. They were all willing to learn, be taught, and to teach in turn. They taught me to delegate better than anyone else has.

As editor I stressed about the little things that could go wrong and sometimes did, and worked hard to correct mistakes before we published anything. But this job taught me as no other job has before, that mistakes happen, and that there’s always next week.

While there were times when we encountered disgruntled readers, sources and former writers, I was proud of how each staffer handled themselves and their professionalism.

I’m also proud of what we were able to accomplish as staff. We met all our print deadlines, even if it meant leaving the office at 5 a.m. We reworked our management and deadline policies to try to bring you coverage in a timelier manner and worked to ensure that coverage included videos, slideshows, and stories. We also tried to streamline our paper design to make it more reader friendly.

While I didn’t necessarily meet every goal I had for the paper, I met my most important one: to have fun. While in some ways I know we all dreaded Wednesday nights, I ended up looking forward to them. I loved getting to know the people who bring you your news, features, opinions, and sports each week and I hope you enjoyed getting to read what they produced.

When asked recently if I would do anything differently, I answered no: that’s my greatest accomplishment.

Thank you to our loyal readers, our supporters, our critics, our diligent journalism advisers, and the dedicated assistance of those in the Controller’s Office. I must also mention my patient friends who waited up for me into the wee hours of the morning. You all made this year worthwhile.

And now without further ado, I turn this paper over to the entirely capable hands of Maria Rajtik and her new staff. I wish you all the best of luck. Not that you need it.

Planning for the future

(Written last January, but never posted)
I'm not sure why such a large portion of our lives is spent in preparation for the future, of seasons, years, and careers yet to come. Why do we live like this?

I'm sure some enjoy the planning stage, but is it really necessary to always be looking forward? Do I always need to be thinking two or more steps ahead?

Yes, but really, NO.

One can argue that to compete, to get ahead, one must be prepared. Others take the more "que sera, sera" approach. I try to have a mix of both, but at times I feel a pressure to be only of the first sort.

Does this ever really make anyone happy? Does anyone really care that this doesn't make anyone in our society truly content?

For now having forethought and planning far in advance is just one of those necessary evils. In the midst of planning and worrying about the future, I just have to remind myself to enjoy the present.

We all do.

Yes, we need to look forward, especially if the present is less than wonderful. But, we also need to remember that the present itself is a gift. The future is the future... it has yet to occur and may never occur.

Wouldn't we all be a little happier if we set aside a portion of each day to recognizing this tidbit?

I think so.