In late August, the newsroom of Eastfield’s college newspaper, The Et Cetera, was filled with a group of strangers, all with a common interest — telling stories. Despite the fact that none of us were journalism majors, we all arrived with an eagerness to learn.
“Let’s assign roles. Who wants to be a Copy Editor? Editor-in-chief? Writer?” We all raised our hands as our faculty advisor, Erica Taylor, helped to assign the necessary student staff positions, unaware of stories we would get to tell and the adventures that awaited us.
What the new staff lacked in experience we made up for with heart and, so, we got to work, learning writing, editing, photography, layout and distribution as we went along. During the last two semesters, we published eight issues, attended several conferences and brought home dozens of awards recognizing our efforts and the efforts of the previous staff.
With every issue, we grew into our journalistic confidence. I am living proof of that very statement. I had never picked up a professional camera to take anyone’s picture, much less at a sports game. In the fall, many of our staff were out of town for a journalism conference, including our Sports Editor at the time, Braxton Piatt.
The opportunity to cover the game was left to those who couldn’t make the trip. I volunteered right away to cover Eastfield’s volleyball game. At first, I was scared. I hadn’t interviewed anyone before or done any photography. However, with the help of Professor Taylor and a bit of practice, I was able to cover a practice game.
This experience allowed me the opportunity to later write about the Harvester Bees winning their championship game, including interviewing the coaches and players afterward!
Journalism, above all else, has taught me bravery and how to step outside of my comfort zone. It has forced me — time and time again — to be accountable and honest about my work and what I do. I am ever grateful to each of my fellow journalists turned friends, and am incredibly proud of every ounce of work they have put toward the paper. As we are closing in on our last edition of the semester, members of The Et Cetera would like to share the impact of journalism on their own lives as non-journalists.
Copy Editor Reggie Miranda-Galvan reflected on his time with excitement for the future. He said: “I’ll be taking the skills that I’ve learned here at the paper to pursue a good career. Between the vocabulary that I’ve picked up and the awareness of reporting, it has sparked a new ambition.”
For Editor-In-Chief Clair Williamson and Reggie Miranda-Galvan, joining the paper was different in many ways.
R: Taking photos always piqued my interest, so I will be capturing moments to, hopefully, make it special in some way.
C: I first joined The Et Cetera because I saw the table at orientation and they said they had work study jobs available. I applied thinking I have no experience working for a paper but maybe I can file paperwork or, if I’m really lucky, they will let me write a story.
Although their starts were different, both of them felt as though they found places at The Et Cetera.
R: Working here has been cool and very fun because the community here is amazing.
C: I was asked to serve as editor-in-chief and I excitedly dove in, learning all I could about running a paper, layout, managing staff, selecting and editing stories and so much more. It’s been challenging and stressful at times, but also so rewarding.
The stories written during the past year have been truly rewarding but, for Clair, there’s one story that stuck out to her.
C: My favorite story I’ve written was the teacher spotlight piece I wrote about Dr. Oliver earlier this spring. Getting the chance to interview someone with such a kind heart and wealth of knowledge was so uplifting for me. I hope it was enough to inspire students to get to know their professors.
Throughout this year doing the paper, personal growth and expression develops and, for Clair, it’s helped her to grow out of her shell.
C: I have always had management and leadership skills, but my desire to be a people pleaser has meant my management style was very timid. There wasn’t always time or space for a timid leader. Someone needed to stand up and take charge, and that was my job. I’ve found my voice and grown into it more and more.
To any of our readers who are interested in joining:
R: Do it! Come join the herd!
C: The beauty of doing this at the college level is we are all learning these skills. No one wants to see you fail so they can succeed; rather we all succeed together as a team, so the newsroom staff truly do encourage each other to grow. I’m so grateful for the experiences I’ve had here.
