Give me normal-ish — Brandon Ladd, Sports Editor
Last issue was my last week as sports editor, as starting this week, my responsibilities as incoming editor-in-chief begin. It has been a year of perseverance and creativity for the sports section of The Oswegonian. Sports did not start until March, and to that point, it was a weekly effort of trying to find intriguing content despite no live Oswego State athletics.
COVID-19 took away a lot this past year, but it has not taken away my resolve to create great content. With that said, I was pleasantly surprised to be able to do my last interview of the academic year in-person at a table inside Laker Hall with the golf team.
It was my first in-person interview in 15 months and it was like riding a bike, seeing the athletes and coach physically in front of me instead of being on Zoom. I was sweating a bit as I asked my questions, not being in the comfort of my bedroom for the interview. I felt like a real journalist again.
With that being said, I am excited for the new normal of next academic year and the ability to connect with these athletes in- person again. It might be different with a mask on, but it will still have enough normalcy to it that I will get excited as I drive over to Laker Hall.
The athletic complex had athletes going in and out of it this week, a sight I had not seen since pre-pandemic days. The fall seems to be another step towards normalcy, and I am all for it.
Farewell — Michael Gross, Asst. Sports Editor
As I finish the year as the assistant sports editor at The Oswegonian, I think about all of the weird experiences that have made this strange year so special.
The staff meetings on Friday afternoons were my first taste of how tight The Oswegonian staff really is. Back in September and October, before Oswego went into hibernation for an eight month-long winter, the staff would take trips to Bev’s to grab ice cream and talk about the newspaper.
As this was, in fact, an ice cream meeting, the ice cream took precedent in the topics we discussed. Most of what we talked about was in regards to getting to know one another on the staff which helped me form strong bonds with my colleagues.
As it got colder, we moved the meetings to Zoom and I began to learn more about the AP style. The biggest change for me was not using the oxford comma which was difficult considering I was taught to use it at a young age. With the guidance of the sports editor and incoming editor-in-chief, Brandon Ladd, I was able to learn more about AP style writing.
I will not be returning as the assistant sports editor next year, but I will be returning as a staff writer on a week to week basis.
The Oswegonian has been pivotal to my development in the media. I will forever remember the ice cream meetings and the laughs and support from everyone. Farewell.
and make their case for a future spot on the lineup card.
“It gives other guys chances to play,” Landers said. “We always talk about how it does not matter when or where you are in the game, every [at-bat] is important. You are playing for something. You are competing. Not just against the other team, but against the game and trying to win a spot for more playing time. [Underclassmen] come here and know what their role is but they also know what our goals are so they just want to do whatever they can to succeed.”
