Working for The Scarlet & Black had been a long-standing goal of mine since second year as I loved storytelling and was eager to explore the field of journalism. However, due to my tendency to overcommit myself to schoolwork and extracurriculars, I never felt I had the time to take on a new job. Eventually, I accumulated enough academic credits to take only three classes per semester during my fourth year. Finally, the chance to work for The S&B had arrived! So I applied for the job and was accepted as video editor in my final semester.
During my time as video editor, I attended events, participated in activities, visited spaces and met people on campus and in the community which I would not have encountered otherwise. I learned essential journalism skills, such as how to badger people with emails, edit quickly and conduct interviews. I was hit by nerf bullets, ran alongside the cross country team, explored the Makerspace, learned about food systems in Grinnell and befriended the famous Dining Hall “Cheery Checkers.” All in all, I had fun.
While working for the newspaper was fun, it was also challenging. I was continually impressed by the talent and dedication of The S&B staff who managed the near-impossible task of turning out an entire newspaper every week while balancing their schoolwork and other obligations. The creation of the weekly paper is made possible through great leadership, effective workflows and good organization, but mostly through the passion that each person brought to their job. Everyone was inviting, kind, helpful and forgiving towards me as I learned how to do my job and integrated myself into the team. Their good-natured humor created a wonderful work environment, and I’m glad to have been part of a great team and a great newspaper.
