At 3 a.m., running on caffeine and zero hours of sleep, I turned to my staff and told them we were two pages short.
It was my first production night as managing editor, and it’s one I won’t forget. Most of the staff went home after finishing their sections. There were four editors and one designer left, and once I told them the news, I watched all their faces fall.
One thought immediately came to my mind: They all will want to quit.
I was baffled and angry at myself that I didn’t notice two pages never came to my desk. It was my job to catch mistakes, not make them. I knew my careless oversight was going to cost them any sleep the staff planned on getting that night.
But there wasn’t one complaint. They just got to work.
We chose which online content we wanted to print, sent it through page edits and put the pages together at lightning speed. We finished at 4 a.m.
When I saw the paper on the news stands the next day, I was overwhelmed with pride. Any hiccups that happened the night before didn’t seem to matter.
There was an investigative piece on the cover, an editorial that held the university accountable, witty entertainment coverage and a sports section that told the story behind the stats.
The pages were well-designed, and the photos captured the human element to each story.
I then realized, none of the mistakes we made were fatal, and we learned from them. This is a sentiment I will hold with me long after I send my final Tribune to the printer.
Each week, we became better. Although production nights were the most hectic for me, it was the highlight of my week, and that is because of the Wire staff. I will be happy anywhere I can be a journalist, but it’s the individuals in the newsroom, who have been at my side through some long nights, that make leaving difficult.
I wouldn’t have been able to make it through some of those late nights and early mornings without Aly Prouty, Jenn Walter, Hannah Feist and Gina Richard with me until the final checklist.
Now I realize it’s ridiculous to think any of the editors and designers would’ve quit after the first production night. They care about the Tribune as much as I do, and we’re a team.
Every paper we put out this semester I have been proud of. Every reporter, editor, designer and photographer’s hard work is evident every Tuesday morning.
This past year has taught me a great deal about journalism, leadership and myself. It has challenged me in many ways, and I know I couldn’t have pulled it off without the 30 talented students I work with every Monday night. I have no doubt that the Marquette Tribune is being left in many capable hands.
