Anne Baker

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.”

Charles Dickens had it right in A Tale of Two Cities – and normally, I wouldn’t dare use such a cliché in this newspaper – but I seem to have used up all my creativity this year as Editor-in-Chief.

You’re exhausted, I’m exhausted, we’re all exhausted. We are at the end of the year, and papers, projects and exams are upon us.

Cartoon by KYLE COMMERFORD | The Appalachian

I have to admit, a few weeks ago I thought I had failed. The Appalachian is part of the Associated Collegiate Press, and each year, they award a Pacemaker to the top student newspapers across the country.

I really thought we had a shot – this year, we had some of the most passionate and dedicated employees the paper has ever seen.

However, when we received our critique, we were awarded a first-class rating, which made us pretty much out of the running for the award. Don’t get me wrong – a first-class rating is only one below the highest All-American rating – but it wasn’t what I was expecting, nor was it what I had hoped for.

My first thought was of the staff and of the people who had trusted me with this position. I felt like I had let everyone down. Then I went back and re-read my application essay I had submitted when I applied for this job. I saw I had emphasized staff training and student development most of all – not the newspaper winning an award.

If the leaders of this publication could encourage people to stick with such a demanding job on top of school because they simply love it, then we succeeded.

Life is almost always about the experience and not the recognition or prestige.

So, in looking back: for a paper with such limited resources, I feel like we did a pretty good job.

It would be naïve to call The Appalachian the best organization on campus, because with over 200 at Appalachian State University, we all have different purposes and goals.

However, each person on the paper’s Editorial Board works over 40 hours a week in Plemmons Student Union, managing their section of the paper and their staff.

It is not for the money, either – the pay equals less than a dollar per hour, adding up to a monthly stipend that is less than some organizations’ on campus.

This is why when I see us fighting for our budget, the money to adequately train our staff, money so we can print more than a six-page paper, and even pay equal to minimum wage for our employees – it is simply devastating.

The Appalachian is not a perfect organization by any means. This year, we have spelled people’s names wrong, reported facts inaccurately and had a number of people from The Citadel after our heads (thank you, Rob Jenkins).

But we are a newspaper for students and by the students. We are not censored by the administration, professors or our adviser. I am not using this as an excuse for our flaws, but rather as a plea: we will make mistakes, but like any other club or organization on campus, we do not want our funds to be taken away because of these errors.

Rather, we want to improve – we don’t want to make mistakes, and we certainly do not make them on purpose. But if we are to become better, sometimes it means providing us with the means to do so.

There are so many training opportunities out there for student journalists, graphic designers, online specialists and photographers.

I was fortunate enough to spend a week this past summer in Athens, Ga., at the University of Georgia’s school of journalism, where I had one of the best experiences I am sure I will ever have.

However, if I knew it would be so difficult to receive money for workshops for our other editors, I would have traded my experience in a heartbeat so a larger number could attend.

I have heard several in the administration talk of Elon University and the potential the school has to rival Appalachian – and a good look at their student newspaper might encourage us to reevaluate our media program.

Elon’s newspaper was founded only in 1974, but in 2009, they were a Pacemaker winner, and produce 24-page issues weekly.

As much as I would love to say we are a publication independent of the university, we require support of the administration, faculty and staff in order to promote the newspaper as a learning tool. We rely on them to help us if we fall short and cannot cover our printing and staff costs if there is a shortage in advertising revenue.

We should not be penalized for this.

If the university expects us to make all of our expenditures up in advertising, then the students should expect the administration to reevaluate how our business office works and assist us in overhauling our current system.

An overhaul is, in my opinion, necessary, and unfortunately is not in the student’s hands, as we do not have that control.

It is easy to throw around “the economy” as monetary excuses, but perhaps a long, hard, look at where money is appropriated versus where it really is necessary would benefit many on campus.

While I learned more about budgets this year than I ever thought possible, I do not believe it is the Editor-in-Chief’s place to have to worry about money more than staff development.

It comes down to this: it is all about the university asking itself whether we are worth fighting for.

A good portion of my knowledge in journalism came from hands-on experience The Appalachian provided me with every day, and I know our other editors feel the same.

If we are no longer regarded as an educational tool, then in my opinion, it would be best to sever ties now, send us on our way, and hope we make it as a completely independent publication with an office on King Street.

Despite the challenges we faced this year, I appreciate the staff’s hard work and devotion. You all have impacted my life in a way I never thought possible.

To our adviser, David Freeman: thank you for your continued involvement in student publications here at Appalachian.

To my desk editors, and chief photographer: you all have some of the most challenging jobs on staff with taking deadlines twice a week and managing your own writers or photographers. Thank you for all your hard work and dedication despite the gray hairs and failing eyesight. Your passion and heart for this business will make you succeed once you walk away from The Appalachian.

To my associates: Without you all, I would never have been able to make many of the decisions I had to make this year. You all were my support and the backbone of this paper, and I thank you for all of your encouragement and motivation.

Liles, it’s in your hands, and I have total faith that you and your staff will monster-stomp it next year – with pica rulers by your side – like none other.

Senior journalism and technical photography double major from Asheville, Anne Baker is the Editor-in-Chief.
Cartoon: KYLE COMMERFORD, Intern Editorial Cartoonist

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