Editor's Good-bye

I must admit that I am sighing in relief knowing that this is our last issue of the semester. After all, this semester has been a whirlwind for me, being the editor-in-chief for both the newspaper and the magazine on top of my 15 units workload and a job.

With that said, however, I must also admit that I’ve learned more in this semester than I have done in the three previous semesters at EC combined.

I may have been running two publications this semester, but I’ve realized that I am no Wonder Woman.
I owe the success of this semester to my editors, writers, photographers and adviser.
Without them, there would no Union.

It is amazing what a team of dedicated students could do; not only were we able to publish nine issues of the newspaper, we won awards at state competitions and proved to ourselves and to the campus community that we are capable, talented journalists.

Not only have we become better journalists, we have built this bond that I will remember fondly for years to come.
As hectic as those Wednesday production nights were, I am going to miss them.

Sure, we were often stressed out or wanting to bang out heads on the computer screen when the system crashed (or was it just me?), but we had many moments where someone said something silly and found ourselves rolling on the floor laughing until our stomachs hurt.

Union has dominated my life for three semesters, but I can’t imagine them to be any different.
Although I always joked that I practically lived in the newsroom with the only thing missing was a bed, I loved having a place where I belonged on campus, a place where I could feel at home.

In addition, as much as I whined and complained that I had no social life, I made more friends in the newsroom than I would have just attending classes.

I am truly blessed to have met these people because they inspired me to do better.

I still remember the first editorial board meeting I attended as the opinion editor.

I didn’t know anyone in the room and felt more nervous than I did on the first day of high school.
I shyly introduced myself and told the group that I was nervous.

Then they, the editors and advisers, all smiled and told me not to worry and I will be fine.
I doubted them. But they were right.

Since that first editorial board meeting I’ve attended many more, but that one by far is the most memorable.
Yes, I am relieved that this is over, but I know I’m going to miss it.

The experiences and the people I met through Union are what made my two years at EC exciting, eye opening and unforgettable.

So I congratulate my editors, writers and photographers—Thanks to you, we did it!

I hope I will have as much fun as I had in the newsroom when I transfer, but somehow I have a feeling that it won’t be the same.

Editor's addiction

With my Sidekick cell phone always in my pocket, I loved checking my Facebook and tweeting on Twitter. As soon as my alarm clock (which is my Sidekick) went off, the first thing I used to do was to check my e-mail (Sidekick has e-mail capabilities, too) and log on to Facebook and tweet. I sometimes just logged on to the accounts and not even update. Just logging on for the sake of logging on had become a part of my daily routine.

I tweeted constantly, usually about nothing. "I like cheeseburger" or "The traffic BLOWS!!!!!!" were some of the not-so-intelligent things that I usually tweeted. I did not update my Facebook status as often as my Twitter, but I checked other's status often.

However, as the deadline for Warrior Life magazine was getting closer and I started to freak out, I decided to cut off Twitter and Facebook out of my life until May 15 when the magazine goes to the printer. It seemed like a brilliant idea, until today when i started to have Twitter and Facebook withdrawals.

Because my Sidekick has a bookmark tab like a computer, I used to have Twitter and Facebook on it for easy access. I deleted them off of the bookmark and left only CNN and the weather. Now I constantly check the weather and CNN. I frantically check them to ease the urge to Tweet about me wanting to tweet. I now know the weather for the next two weeks and read every front page stories on the CNN mobile Web site.

As I was walking down the street to get lunch today, I saw two students crossing the street screaming and laughing. I wanted to tweet, "Ppl needs to learn how to behave in public," but all I got on my Sidekick screen was today's weather: High 65, Low 50.

Am I the representation of this generation or am I just an addict?

I constantly think about tweeting or checking people's Facebook pages.

The question is, am I more productive without Twitter and Facebook? The answer is, unfortunately, yes. I cannot describe how much more I got done today. I've edited more stories than ever, and I'm even posting a new blog post.

But, like any addict, I get the withdrawal symptoms. I get irritated when others around me tweet. When people talk about Facebook, I yell, "Well, I can't go on Facebook!" While these symptoms may seem harmless, I feel bad for those around me.

So far I've been fighting the temptation to log on. Whether this addict will overcome her addiction and finish the magazine on time are something we just have to wait and see.

What this editor learned

Journalism Association of Community Colleges had its state convention in Sacramento over the weekend and I am proud to say that the Union represented its school in a big way. We won awards after awards and we were dominating the competition.

While I would love to rant on and on about the weekend, I think it is more appropriate to talk about what I learned at the convention.

I was fortunate enough to attend one of the best workshops, titled "How to Survive as an Editor Without Killing Anyone" by Holly Heyser, adviser at Sacramento State Univeristy. She was witty and right on the dot about the things we go though as editors.

Some of the "nightmares" in the newsroom and how we should handle it:

- People who talk about you behind your back: ACCEPT IT. People talk about their bosses.
- Bad attitude in the newsroom: Find out where it's coming from.
- Production night tensions: Don't bitch about it at a corner with your buddy. DON'T MAKE IT PERSONAL.
- Reporter who sucks (i haven't had this problem in a while, though): Don't put off editing this one until last and do your best to teach.

"Don't trash other staffers or editors in front of the staff. It contributes to an atmosphere of cynicism and doubt."

I thought this was so true. As editors, we need to set the example and the way we conduct ourselves reflect the way of our work ethic.

The workshop reminded me that being an editor is not just about editing stories, but it's also about learning how to manage people.

"Remember that your actions and reactions will either magnify or defuse any situation."

I loved this weekend. Great people, great workshops, great lessons.

Putting blogs up on the Web

Mood: Sleepy

Lori, our adviser, has asked me to put blogs on our Web site. Since I don't have a page to work on this semester, this was going to be tonight's task.

Filip, co-photo editor, suggested me to use Google gadgets to do this. The only problem: I didn't know what Google gadget was or how to use it.

Laugh at me all you want; I'm the Web editor of our student publication and I didn't know how to use a Google gadget until today. Go ahead and laugh.

But just because I was clueless, it didn't mean that I was not going to learn.

So Filip first helped me search for the right gadget on Google. We decided to use this. Everything seemed dandy and smooth, until we faced one tiny problem: we didn't know how to put more than one URL on the FEED URL.

We pondered and tried different things, but we could not work it out.

Then Filip suggested me to contact Rich Cameron, Talon Marks adviser at Cerriots College, since he has helped us with Web stuff before.

Since I'm his "friend" on Facebook (yes, i used Facebook to get hold of a professor), I messaged him with few questions.

Almost instantly, he sends me a message back with THE solution: to use Feedweaver.

And just like that, we put everyone's blogs' RSS on our Feedweaver account, and use that URL on the Google gadget.

The blogs were now up on the Web. Yes!

The next challenge was to place the gadget on the right side of our front page, right under our "Most Commented." Once again I sent a message to Rich.

This time he recommended to use College Publisher's "new project" and page layout options to place it.
Finally, the widget was there, exactly where I needed to be.

The lesson is that it is always good to ask questions.

In addition, Rich wrote about EC's Web site and me on his blog. I felt smarter, and it didn't hurt that I was mentioned :]

First post, by the editor

Mood: relieved

As soon as I got to the newsroom, there was a whole list of things to do waiting for me.

Task 1: Update the Web site.

Task 2: Make assignment sheets for Warrior Life stories.

Task 3: Organize my folders and separate what's WL and what's Union.

OK, it does not seem like a meaty list, but it is time consuming to finish all of the tasks.

The Web site is finally updated with new photos and stories; it is a relief that we have new material up. Check us out at www.elcaminouniononline.com

As for WL assignments, it is hard to narrow down which stories to use and which to not. There are several stories that I am so stoked for (I won't tell you which one just yet in case plans change)! I'm planning on combining some story ideas into one because a lot of pitched ideas were profiles. Also, creating assignment sheets for all the stories are kind of scary— what if I don't write enough detail? What if my angle is not clear? Some of my staff writers are fresh out of J1, so I want to makes sure that I am as detailed and precise as possible. The last thing they need is an editor who gives vague and confusing instructions.

I wonder if previous WL editors were as scared as I am right now.

Back to talking about the paper.
I am just glad that our first issue looks great both online and in print. The delivery went smoothly, too.

One down, eight more to go. And trust me, it goes by fast.