First off, credit is due for the above picture. I took it. Pat Smith made it look good. And that’s his job as photo editor of The Towerlight. So far his efforts have earned him his own Facebook group (“Patrick Smith is a photo God”) and a handful of Collegiate Photojournalism awards. Chances are this will be the best picture posted on this blog. Unless of course he decides to toy with any others in the next 43 days.
Whereas Tuesdays are spent jetting around campus, Wednesdays are confined to the Towerlight office. The newspaper comes out Mondays and Thursdays, meaning our Sundays and Wednesdays are accounted for. For me that has been the theme for the better part of the last three and a half years. I got on board second semester of my freshman year, and eventually worked my way up to a position as Associate Sports Editor this semester. That’s not to say the paper is extremely competitive. I just was never interested in dedicating all that much time to the paper outside of writing my stories. That changed when last semester’s Sports Editor, Joey Flyntz (come back to Maryland), graduated and current editor Kiel Mclaughlin (The lone male in the picture above) assumed the position. He needed an associate and (after much pleading) I offered my services. I’m glad I did. So much so, in fact, that I told Kiel today that I’ve enjoyed this semester at the paper more than any other.
That’s for a variety of reasons. While I haven’t been able to cover my beloved Towson Volleyball Team (although a Spring season update is in the works), I have had the opportunity to focus on feature stories and columns. I have never envisioned myself as a true newspaper writer. The daily grind and straightforward writing style never appealed to me much. Instead, I was influenced by the storytelling and in-depth profiles in magazines like ESPN and SLAM. As a result I think feature stories are where I excel. I love the freedom involved in painting an image of an individual. In talking with that person, digging for a characteristic or event in their life that makes them unique. To be able to sensationalize (within reason). And in the end give the reader a better understanding of who that person is. And why.
The whole writing process is weird, especially when it comes to the more ‘featuresque’ stories. I get so caught up in each individual sentence and paragraph that it’s really difficult to see the big picture. To step back, view the story as one cohesive piece, and objectively determine if it is more than just 700 words of complete nonsense. It usually takes me until the next day when I can read it in print for me to decide if I like it. I don’t know, it’s hard to explain. I suppose it’s a bit like analyzing individual scenes of a movie without seeing it as one cinematic piece. Bad example?
Before I call it a day (as I type it’s 11:52:00 p.m. and Id like to post this prior to April 12), Drew Bledsoe retired today. Word is he wants to stay involved with football so the Kansas City Chiefs have hired him as a tackling dummy. Herm Edwards says Bledsoe was by far their most experienced candidate.
*Also pictured above: Arts Editor Amanda Doran and proofreader/closet Arts staff member Lauren Svrjcek.
