Four and a half years ago, I walked into the Mitchell Center to visit a friend, not realizing that my life would change forever. I was given an impromptu tour of the department by a random man and was introduced to The Antelope for the first time.
As a freshman with no prior experience in a news setting, I thought this was the perfect place to start spending my time.
After a year of designing pages that were eventually redesigned, I apparently proved I had the proper qualifications to be the most important person in the room: Editor-in-Chief. Makes sense, right?
Somehow, I was able to figure out how to manage a newspaper staff and run newspaper production with zero experience. I’m not sure why they trusted me with all this power, but it’s been a good time. Now as Managing Editor, I’ve learned new and fun ways to run production. Here are a few things I learned while leading the swaggiest newspaper staff:
1. Always be super cool, talented, funny and beautiful
It’s not easy. I mean it is for me, but it wasn’t always this easy. I wasn’t always this super swaggy version of myself. It takes a lot of work, but it’s worth it. This is the only way to ensure that you have a good newspaper staff because leadership has a significant impact on the culture and environment of the workplace.
2. Befriend every teacher in the department
It’s very important within my position to be homies with almost every teacher in the department. I’m especially tight with Rosdail, Professor Hogg and Widger. And my main man, Lloyd Breeding. Ask any of them, I promise they’ll agree.
3. Make your staff question your authority
I think that it’s important that your staff members constantly question your ability to lead. This creates a very comfortable environment by showing that everyone has flaws, which helps retention.
3. Make your staff deal with your nonsense
In order to keep our staff members engaged, I have found it really helpful to be absolutely unhinged. Most of the things I say and do don’t make sense, and I think creating this space of openness really helps our staff members feel comfortable and happy.
4. Torment your advisor and ask him for food
Our advisor, Rob, makes a mean piece of bread. And he makes some good soup. He can take a joke, which is important in his job.
5. Play Just Dance post-deadline.
This is the perfect way to celebrate a finished deadline. We don’t have a Wii, so we have to improvise with Youtube videos of people playing Just Dance, but it does the job.
6. Force your staff to breakdance.
I’ve started a new initiation for our staff members and I think it has really been helping retention and keeping the staff on their toes. Each new member has to show us their best breakdance moves.
Thank you for your time.
