Responsibility is an important part of life. Over the past two years, the Clarion has fully brought out this aspect in me.
As the Clarion enters its final editions of the year, I began thinking about how my job’s responsibilities have helped mold the guy I am today.
I’ve always been a fairly responsible guy: paying bills, eating three meals a day, changing my oil every 3,000 miles. But, it wasn’t until last fall when I realized how stressful being an editor could be.
Working in restaurants your whole life doesn’t require a great amount of leadership and attention. As a server, simply show up for your shift, take care of guests and do a bit of cleaning to prove your capabilities of being a good employee.
With the editor position at the Clarion, it has become a strenuous weekly task to provide solid reporting and writing while worrying about every single aspect behind a paper’s production and managing a staff that needs to stay positive and upbeat.
The daily grind of being an editor at a school newspaper has its perks, but it often overshadows many things that I used to take for granted as a student.
It’s very easy to shove homework assignments and studying aside because of my responsibilities. I can’t count how many times I’ve zoned out during a class lecture because I was thinking about the newspaper.
But, that’s the thing with news: It’s a non-stop force that doesn’t care about other people’s schedules or worries. As a journalist, whether you have the time or not, news will break and it’s your job to cover it.
So how do you balance breaking news with studying and homework?
There are times when it can be difficult, but that’s where responsibility comes into play. I’ve had to give up a number of activities that used to occupy my free time.
I used to spend an hour a day playing video games; used to listen to CD’s all the way through; used to sleep until the afternoon; and used to stay up until 4 a.m.
Because of my responsibility at the Clarion, I’ve had to give up that life.
Don’t get me wrong. I love my time spent with the Clarion. The past two years have been the most productive of my life. Without the paper, I wouldn’t be heading toward a positive and exciting future.
It’s safe to say the Clarion set me straight.