Well, we made it, did we not?
I label this column as a “Year in Review.” In a year where there seems to be an influx of negative news, I want to focus on the positives; what The Oswegonian has done in a unique, always-changing and flat-out chaotic year.
There were some bumps along the way, but I somehow made it to my last issue of truly being in charge of this newspaper. Next week, our next Editor-in-Chief, Brandon Ladd, will be taking on most of the duties while I supervise.
In my first column of the year, I found a random quote from Alan Watts, “The only way to make sense out of change is to plunge into it, move with it, and join the dance.” Boy, did we join the dance of 2020 — and 2021 for that matter.
As students, we were right alongside our classmates as in-person classes were put on pause in mid-September. We had as many questions and concerns as the rest of them. All of us were frustrated when we found out that we would not be able to publish two of our bi-weekly issues.
And just like our classmates, we bounced back after the pause. We fought to stay open. We got our tests and some of us have even gotten our vaccines this past semester. We continued to battle our own adversity and publish bi-weekly issues, providing the best news, sports, opinions and entertainment reviews that we possibly could.
I would be lying if I said that I was not concerned when I sat down with our managing editor Matt Watling in July, getting ready for this year. How would our staff members adjust? Will we have enough writers? How much is actually going on that we can cover? I thought we were going to have an extended period of acclimating to a new system.
This year’s staff proved me wrong.
Every issue, as Editor-in-Chief, I saw improvement. Staff members strived to make their individual sections better each and every week, which meant our writers were better every time they submitted a piece. Editors found ways to change their sections up, building on what previous editors did before. Simply put, this staff wanted to get better week-in and week-out.
Numerous friendships, even though we did not have our typical full newsroom, were formed or strengthened. Skills, both relating to journalism and life, were learned by many. I just wish we could have been in the office more often. What would have this year’s office chemistry been like? I can only think it would have been the best of my four years here.
On paper, we covered several big stories. During the fall, there were so many press conferences from different COVID-19 announcements, it was hard to keep track of everything. But every time, we were there. In the spring, we were right there with the latest updates in terms of college athletics, COVID-19 updates, Student Association news and even some things in the city of Oswego.
This past year, The Oswegonian has proven what student media is about, “learning while doing.” With all of the big news that came out essentially every week this year, whether it was COVID-19-related or not, staff members quickly learned what it meant to be in a newspaper setting, no matter what their position was.
In some ways, student media at SUNY Oswego led the way this year. We all — The Oswegonian, WTOP-10 and WNYO — helped the student body. We worked together and brought a greater community together and kept it informed.
So, what is next for The Oswegonian as the semester wraps up? May 7 will be our final issue of the semester. Every position that has been hired for next year by Ladd and the incoming managing editor Abigail Connolly, will do a “takeover week,” where they run the show.
And while being at the helm in this crazy year was fun, challenging, stressful and invigorating, I cannot wait to be on the sidelines watching what this staff can do for the final issue and all of next year.
