Let me tell you, it has been a hell of a semester.
Yes, I know. That is a completely cliché opening. But run a newspaper for a semester and give me a better opening in the middle of production and preparing for finals.
At any other university around the country, the outgoing editors of campus papers are thinking the same thing: Wow.
Each student media organization matures and changes with each editorial leadership.
I hope my work this semester has done justice to the work of past leadership.
Let's review:
It was our first semester with direct dorm room delivery and the first semester as a weekly newspaper.
As I write this editorial on the last print production day of the semester, we published 356 news stories, 546 sports stories, 255 opinion pieces and 211 arts and entertainment stories. An increase from last semester.
We experimented with our covers. The story about Lady Gaga's Little Monsters was illustrated, and the story behind ASU's branding message turned into a collage of sorts.
Our investigative reporter tackled the sustainability of Aramark and recounted Jack Culolias's last night. Our editorial desk tackled important issues — from sexism in comics to the reality of terrorism. Columnist Jacob Evans wrote perhaps the funniest (and most realistic) column this semester on the importance of outer beauty as a college student. Isabelle Novak and Haley Mills debated the merits (or lack thereof) of feminism. Their columns, and countless others, demonstrated what great editorial pages can do — spark conversations.
The work of my staffers is (and was) pretty incredible. I could not be more proud to be their editor in chief, but I do not always get the time to tell them.
So, what I am trying to say is thank you.
Thank you to the staffers who diligently report to our less-than-glamorous newsroom in the basement of Matthews Center — even on Sundays.
Thank you to the editors who let me fill our budget meetings (where we plan the website and the paper, not money) with funny GIFs and videos as well as discussion about the most important news of the day.
Thank you to our publisher Jason Manning, who was always there with advice. (And thesis edits.)
Thank you to my professors who, occasionally, let me use The State Press as an excuse for extensions. I really needed them.
I am not sure what next year holds — positions are not yet hired — but I know whoever takes over The State Press will do an amazing job. I never knew what to expect when I interviewed for my first State Press job, but I am incredibly grateful.
So, to everyone, thank you.
Reach the editor at crcruz1@asu.edu or follow @CaitlinRCruz
