It sat in little bins, sprinkled throughout campus and had a decent crossword puzzle. I picked it up every day. It got me through Math 103. Just after Math 103 ended, I saw an ad for copy editors at Technician. I didn’t know the first thing about Associated Press style or journalism, but I applied and got the job.
A year and a half later, I’m two weeks away from graduation and still trying to figure out why it took so long for me to transfer to N.C. State and join the paper.
And then, when I realize it’s 1:30 a.m. and I’m still in the office at 323 Witherspoon, I ask myself why I didn’t quit long ago to save my sanity, grades and physical health. Working at a daily paper takes a lot out of you. I guess I knew this, but when I started I had no idea I’d end up breaking up near-physical arguments, screaming at my editor (and being screamed at by my editor) and sobbing on my desk. And little of that had anything to do with actual journalism.
It was the people! Those people, down in the little box at the bottom of this page, I fought because of them, cried because of them and I had such a better college experience because of them.
I nearly cried there.
To redeem myself, I’ll embarrass all those people I love so dearly with a list of things no one outside of the Technician knows.
1. We’re up in the office until midnight…no, 1 a.m., no, 2 a.m. …. or later.
This item is mostly for the benefit of the professors I’ve had who don’t know why I’ve been sitting in their classes with eyes glazed over. Or, for my film professor, why I haven’t been there at all.
2. We laugh at your forum letters.
Not all of them, of course. But seriously, some of you can’t spell.
3. We don’t look at the crossword puzzle.
That’s the business office’s business. So every time you send us an e-mail complaining about how the crossword was all messed up, we delete it.
4. Technician’s office is right next to Student Government’s office.
I don’t think I need to comment here.
5. Working at the paper is a full-time job.
The editor-in-chief is at the paper about 60 hours a week. I’m at the paper about 40 hours a week. And we still have classes. Most of us have had a brush with failure in a class or in life in general. Academic papers mean nothing after a few weeks at the newspaper. The only paper that matters is the one with Technician on top.
6. Because of the above, none of us have any friends outside of Student Media.
We eat together. We drink together. We hang out together. We play laser tag together. 90 percent of the followers on our Twitters are other people at the office. We’re sort of pathetic.
7. We love what we do, even though we hate what we do.
If you like to be confused, stressed, and overworked, apply to be a writer at Technician next year. It sounds horrible, but you’ll find yourself surrounded by some of the craziest, most awesome, fabulous people on this campus.
So, to all of you, who are too numerous to name, it’s been AMAZING and I’ll miss you so much it’s probably going to hurt! Come visit me in the Delta!
Best wishes to the 2009-2010 staff. I’ll be checking in.
To tell Taylor how much you’ll miss her, e-mail [email protected]
