Gabby DeMarchi
Editor-in-Chief
While I had been told in my earlier years here at Springfield College that The Springfield Student had greatly improved, it had never really meant much to me. All I knew was the paper brought me a lot of stress weekly, and sometimes it seemed more of a task than anything else.
It wasn’t until my junior year that I really truly appreciated what The Springfield Student has given me, with that all becoming much more clear this past year.
While up until last year I primarily only wrote for the paper, starting my junior year I started to get involved in the paste-up production of the paper. Wednesday nights became newspaper nights. No other homework will be done; only newspaper business.
Then I made the decision to study abroad spring semester of my junior year, and to this day it is still the best decision I have ever made. While studying abroad was everything and more I hoped it to be, I also lost a semester of working with the newspaper.
So, when my fall semester of senior year rolled around, I was more than ready to make this year the best year for The Student. And boy, I had no idea what was getting myself into.
After writing some fun and important articles, and dealing with some heated controversy, I thought nothing could top last semester for The Student. Again, boy, I had no idea what I was getting myself into.
In January I stepped into the position of editor-in-chief. Knowing that you are the final decision maker, you are the one who makes the rules, and you are the one, that God forbid something goes wrong, the blame will fall all on you brought on a whole new level of responsibility that I felt ready to take on.
While several different difficult decisions had to be made this past semester, I did not make any of these decisions on my own. This year I was blessed to have the pleasure of working with four amazing other members of the editorial staff, and an advisor that will forever and always have my back.
Terrence, Jimmy, Alison, Joe and Marty are the heart and soul of this publication.
Terrence, the master of venting, brought the much needed jokes or comical stories at two in the morning when all we wanted to do was quit and sleep. He also is the master of writing witty, yet important columns that are always so eloquently written with that hint of Terrence in them. I always know I’ll get a quality piece from Terrence.
Jimmy is not only our sports editor, but also our online editor. We joked all year that Jimmy ran his own paper by being his own “editor-in-chief” of the sports section, but the fact is, that is entirely true. Jimmy completely ran the sports section of the paper, and I trusted him day in and day out. He also maintained and updated our website, scstudentmedia.com, our Twitter and our Facebook. Everything you see on there is all him.
Alison probably deals with the most crap, but is the absolute best at her job. While she doesn’t write articles (seriously, her farewell column is the first thing she has ever written for this paper), Alison lays out the first six pages of the paper. Typically the first six pages are the most important, and each and every week Alison came up with a new and unique layout that was always aesthetically pleasing. She also is the first person to recognize if I am stressed or overwhelmed, and she will immediately drop what she is doing and come to my aid.
Joe Brown. What to say about Joe Brown. While Alison tends to deal with my organizational and personal problems, Joe Brown deals with anything and everything that has to do with the paper. The amount of times I’ve called and/or texted Joe this year in an utter panic is more times I can count. Joe is the calm and composed one who legitimately keeps me sane. Not only is Joe amazing at keeping the situation calm, but he is also a fantastic writer, leader and teacher. He is going to absolutely rock it as editor-in-chief next year, and I cannot wait to watch him succeed.
Lastly, there is Marty. I cannot put it into words that Marty has done for me over these past four years. I chose to come to Springfield College because I wanted to go to a small school where I wouldn’t be a number and have close relationships with my professors, and that is exactly what I got. I’ve had the pleasure of having Marty as my professor, advisor of the paper, as well as my academic advisor. The fact that I called Marty one time while he was on a college visit with daughter, and he took time out of that important visit to talk with me and deal with my problems still blows me away. The fact that I am comfortable enough to call and text my professor is simply shocking in itself. Like I said before, I can’t put into words what Marty has done for me, but I what I do know is that I am one lucky girl.
To all five of you, thank you. Thank you for dealing with my personal problems, my crude comments and for always staying by my side.
While these five really are what makes this newspaper happen each and every week, we wouldn’t have a paper at all if it weren’t for the amazing writers and copy editors we had this year. Looking at a list of our writers, the majority of them are sophomores and freshmen. There is so much potential in all of you, and I can’t wait to watch you grow.
Both Katie Barsevich and Larissa Makris shared the position of copy editor this year. Both spent sleepless Wednesday nights editing every story for us, and this isn’t even their major or what they want to fo with their future’s. I don’t know what I would have done without the both of you, and I am so thankful that the two of decided to join our staff this year.
While at one point in my life I looked at this publication as a task, a nuisance of sorts, now I look at it as a blessing in disguise. Being part of this publication taught me discipline, determination, respect, trust and compassion; all major life elements I would have eventually learned, but definitely not in the same capacity.
Thank you always and forever. What a journey it has been.