Kristin Marthaler

Usually when starting a new job there are high hopes. Sometimes those hopes seem to be unrealistic but they are at the top of the to-do list.

Knowing that, I tend to be a realist. I am not going to say I plan on winning major awards for the paper or having the president call me up thanking me for the article in the Collegian that he some how received.

Those are all great dreams to have but they are not realistic ones, at least for the year I am running the paper. What I can guarantee you though, is I will make a difference. I will make a difference in someone’s life at some point during the year. As will my editors and reporters under me. We take great pride in writing for this paper and putting it out each year. Regardless of how our viewers feel about the paper, they still read it and they still hear what we have to say about certain events or certain topics that arise.

My goals for next year incude an open house at the beginning of next year so anyone can see what it’s like at the Collegian. Everyone will be welcome, and yes, there will be food. We are adding a Religious column to the paper, where we will have numerous viewpoints from different religions. The sections in the paper will remain the same as they are now, I really like how it is laid out.

But before my first issue as editor-in-chief hits the news stand, there are few things I want readers to know. When you pick up the paper and read it, all that goes through your mind probably is how some writer covered this event and this is all they had to say about it. What you don’t always know is what goes on behind the scenes. Stories are thought of a week or two ahead of time and researched. Once the storie is written, they go through numerous edits and changes until the final product, which is what you read in the paper. This isn’t a part-time job, or a job you don’t have to think about once you leave the office. We constantly do interviews or talk about how stories should be written between classes and late into the night.

Don’t get me wrong, I am not complaining about how hard we work. I love it and it pays off. But the next time you pick up a Collegian and you like a story, let the reporter know they did a good job. They only hear about it when something goes wrong.

Everyone who writes for the paper has a passion for writing and they love what they do. That is how the paper comes together every single year. I’m glad I have such a great staff lined up for next year, and the staff this year has aleady taught me so many things.

Feel free next year to let me know how I am doing, good or bad. Input is always good. I am very honored to have this position at the Collegian and can not wait to get started. Being a student at SDSU has lots of opportunities and some of them you have to dive in headfirst. I may feel like I’m going into this blind, but I have a great feeling about it. Feel free to stop by the Collegian any time, whether it’s to talk to me about an article or just shoot the breeze.

Kristin Marthaler is a junior journalism major and is currently the Jucie Life editor. E-mail her at kristin

#1.884635:3004614607.jpg:kristinmug.jpg:Kristin Marthaler, Columnist: