I suppose the last article is something an editor frets over. And I did. It's impossible to fit in this tiny space everything I've learned through my experiences at this paper and at Lakeland, but I hope what does make it in is valuable.
In fact, that's all I've done throughout the year-ensure that there's value in the paper. I've received no grade or credit for being the editor, only a measly wage. I did it because I felt I had to. That's the same reason I stayed up until four o'clock in the morning every other Wednesday, went home, came back five hours later for a niner class in the basement, and stayed until one or two in the afternoon, sometimes skipping that class. I just had to be there to see it through.
I stay because at 3 a.m. there'll be a comma splice here or a sentence fragment there, or maybe in the middle of a composition title an article will be capitalized, and this baby doesn't get printed until those mothers are eradicated to the best of my ability (a phrase I borrow from Karl Elder). In one issue I was worried sick about a story. I emailed the print person at "The Plymouth Review" at 3 a.m. and told him I thought a word in the headline had an e instead of an a. It turned out that the a was there. That spotting of the microscopic bugged the heck out of my layout editor, Dmytro Kovalchuk. He would often ask, "Why can't you just leave it?" rubbing the stress and sleeplessness out of his face. I would tell him I didn't know, and he would go on and make the change. But we had fun. We always had fun.
Doing the paper is like having a final exam every two weeks. It's a challenge. It's also a way to leave a legacy. I hope the paper will inspire some people, perhaps future editors. Or perhaps a story inspired you to write, investigate, appreciate, do something good.
I thank those who helped bring information to the public, especially those in the community who were willing to do interviews. The stories are endless when you talk to people. There isn't enough time or paper to print what's out there. I thank my staff and our advisor Martha Schott for their dedicated efforts.
As the "Mirror" maintains its award-winning tradition, I'm proud to be the editor of it. And on a larger level, the Lakeland community can be proud of it. I hope that tradition continues.
There's a lot to enjoy this issue. With that, farewell.
2008 Woodie Awards
