The world stops for no journalist

This has been an unbearably strenuous week.

Sometimes, I forget that the world continues on when I'm in the newsroom. It can be a blessing and a rather unfortunate mental block, too, honestly.

I can't... well I'll leave the personal stuff out of this, but it's strange. When you work at a newspaper, you hear about all sorts of tragedy going on in the community. We're human, though, so it's not as if it's all just a chance for a breaking story, although sometimes it is.

There's something absolutely beautiful about how fleeting our lives are, though. For some reason, I get comfort to know that, if I were to be severely disabled or die, that writing for The News Record has helped some people. Changed their lives, even. Brought some light to some obscured issue at hand that required sitting on at my desk and highlighting numbers and facts and quotes until 3 a.m.

It is a job for us. But, I mean, we're not writing fiction here. Although sometimes I do like to dabble in something a little less cut and dry, the news desk is where I belong. It's a place that I think I'll remain for the rest of my life.

I have no doubt that most of the current staff will catch on somewhere in the journalistic world if they choose to. They're that talented. Our "job" is to change lives, it's just unfortunate that ours can be put second when it happens.

I love journalism more than anything. I don't think I could have chosen a more befitting major for my personality, but, sometimes, after going to Kentucky at 1 a.m. to get some brews and sitting in a screened porch with some friends and bouncing ideas off of each other regarding the future of journalism, life really knocks the wind out of you.

Good luck, everyone! I'm sure I'll see you in the funny pages even after I graduate and end up making $90,000 at the New York Times and blowing it all on Lucky Strikes and Scotch.

-Gin

It's the final countdown!

It's so hard to believe there are only two issues left of The News Record for the year.

The end of the year has totally caught me by surprise. It's probably because I had the week in Texas ... but I cannot believe we only have one more week of class. Or that there are only two issues of TNR.

This year has been fast paced, hardcore, fabulous and fascinating. I've gone from a bearkitten college living/spotlight editor with no idea what I was doing to being an incoming junior, continuing my role as managing editor and starting an internship at Dayton Daily News.

I feel like I've really grown this year, both as a writer and as a person (ugh. how cliche). I've becoming so comfortable at TNR, it's like a second home to me. The people there, as Kareem used to say, are really like a second family. Sure, we all have our ups and downs, our squabbles and our bonding ... but that's how all families are. These people have come to mean so much to me ... I can't believe some of them will soon be gone.

TNR without Taylor Dungjen ... can you even imagine it? She's been a role model, a boss, a mentor and a great friend. She's taught me (and so many other) hundreds of things about journalism, and her strength and passion as the editor-in-chief will never be forgotten.

Some have already moved on -- Kareem, Amanda, Jamie Royce. Some are graduating this year -- Justin, Peter, Taylor. And we are growing, as a family and as a paper. Gin and I have so many plans for the next year ... I can't wait to get started. We're bringing in some new people, changing things up. It's going to be so exciting, and I can't wait to see what the year has in store ... especially when I look back and see how much things changed in the past year.

I've done some amazing things -- interviewing the Naked Cowboy, having the chance to talk to Christy Altomare, who plays Wendla in "Spring Awakening. Going to Texas for a week to a little city filled with books. I've sat on the basketball court and tried shooting it. I've learned more about this university than I thought possible. I'm so glad for the leaps and bounds I've made as a journalist, and for the realization that I've barely made a dent in the ocean of things I have yet to learn. But I've loved every moment of it.

So farewell to the TNR class of 2010. We will miss you more than words can describe. And to everyone who's sticking around for next year: Let's get ready to rummbbbllleeeee!

- Ariel

Personal gains ahoy

So, in conjunction with my previous post about the politicians using journalists for personal gains, there's not a lot to add.

While I do love writing about jazz, I feel like people can misconstrue my intention. I want to hear jazz. I want to see it thrive and flourish. It's my duty!

But, when I just get e-mails talking about "HEY MAN I READ YOUR COLUMN COME TO THE SHOW AND PUT IT INTO YOUR COLUMN HAR HAR HAR" it's... off. I want to help them out. Dear God, I want to help them out since it's hard enough to find some sweet jazz shows around, but, still.

Conflict of interest? I don't want to become known as a guy you can come to for free advertising. I'll go to the show and I'll review it, maybe, but that's about the extent that I want to do it.

Young jazz artists are rare. It's a beautiful rarity, too, because of how dear I hold jazz to my heart. But, I just can't bring myself to plug them for free.

-Gin

Perks of the job

So, I've kind of been hit in the face with a giant hand called reality.

Next year, I'm going to be editor-in-chief of The News Record. It's going to be hard. I think really hard, actually. But that's what it's all about.

I can't wait to get started. It's going to be fun, too. I hope all our editors and staffers will be able to get along. If not, well, I guess that's not really my problem if a quality paper gets out.

No more budgeting?^ I guess I have to worry about everyone else's but I trust that they'll do a good job.

Phew.

This summer needs to go by fast so I can come back with all my new-fangled ideas and keep the tradition of TNR alive.

We might not be the biggest staff, but we turn out some fantastic content.

We're also, definitely, the most badass in our SPJ region. WITHOUT A DOUBT, SON.

-Gin

Mine.

When it comes to The News Record's website, newsrecord.org, I can get a tad possessive.

OK, that's a lie. I twitch with annoyance when someone adds a teaser. I cringe when editors don't have the proper paragraph spacing in their stories. I feel my eyes tear up when something is changed or added without my knowledge/approval. I am intensely, out-of-my-mind possessive of the website.

But, honestly, I think I kind of have a right to be. Former managing editor Kareem Elgazzar taught me (and only me) how everything is supposed to run on the site: how the top headlines should line up perfectly, how the headlines needs to be a certain length to look right. I know how to make the site look good because he showed me how.

So if someone changes things and they don't look the way I want it to, I have a problem.

Sure, now we've got online editor Sam Greene, who does a great job. He understands the aesthetics of the website and adheres to them. Sure, I had a little trouble letting go of total, absolute control ... but I think I've made progress; I actually let him do the top headlines the other night.

I know it's probably not the healthiest obsession, especially when it takes so many people to run the site. But I can't help it. Since I started working on the website back in February, I have put my heart and soul into it. Is it so wrong I get a little overprotective?

- Ariel

Today.

Today was so long... I feel as though I have experienced three days.
I owe it to tracing a map of UC's campus, staying up all night staring at after effects, learning about twitter in PR, and then a long night at The News Record. And let's not forget the incredible hail storm so powerful it trapped us within Swift. After arming ourselves with trashbag shields we braved the storm.... to find it had ended.

Time to sleep? Nope. Now it's time to animate some dandelions for my 9 am class.

The joys of a DAAPer/TNR employee.

-Jamie

p.s. I seriously need that raise now guys *hint*... or a bowl of ice cream might suffice.

37 hours

Hello.

I've been awake for 37 hours thinking it would help me get to my early morning class on time and get to sleep. My sleep schedule is all sorts of messed up. But, little did I know that, oh, you know I'd have to do two same day stories and someone called into the Cincinnati Police Department shots were fired on UC's campus.

This.

Has been.

The longest day.

Of my life.

Night.

Gin.