It’s the week from hell — That’s right, the week before The Times-Delphic Relays Edition comes out. The monster of a 56-page issue is always a scary task to take on. With one week until the edition hits stands at Drake University, it’s crunch time for me and the rest of the staff in Meredith 124. To get through the week, I’m going to have to rely on a lot of things, but today, I’m compiling the top 5 things that will get me through this week (or any other week I have intense deadlines):
1) Coffee
No student editor can deny the effects of coffee.There is nothing quite like this caffeine filled drink. Whether it’s 8 a.m. or 8 p.m., we’re gonna need it when we’re working around the clock. The coffee pot is always flowing when it comes to the Relays Edition. Avoid the Newsroom Party Foul of leaving the pot on when it’s empty. The smell of a burning hot plate on glass is never welcoming in the newsroom.
2) Food
Stress eating becomes a beautiful art form when you’re on a heavy schedule of deadlines. No longer are we just depending on dining hall food, now we’re ordering take-out, making midnight runs to Wal-Mart and hoping that McDonald’s breakfast opens early. Food isn’t just another motivator for us, it’s a way of sustaining our energy levels (with coffee of course).
3) AP Stylebook
Let’s be real here — AP Style is the gospel when it comes to journalism. Without it, newspapers around the world wouldn’t have the same style (or close to, because no paper strictly adheres to the AP Style principles). Plus, it doesn’t help knowing that the abbreviation for Oklahoma in datelines is “Okla.” Be warned though, the AP Style Trap of looking from entry to entry just trying to figure out how to properly cite congressional districts can get a bit bulky. The red pen comes in handy at this point, I’m not including it in the top five, but we all know the importance of our red pens. They’re like the AP Stylebook’s significant other.
4) The other editors
You can’t do everything on your own. Don’t try to either. You have a staff for a reason. I’m not always the best at listening to this rule, but working as a news team is going to help you in the long run. Having a panic attack over a comma splice is not how you want to end your college journalism career.
5) Patience
This is probably the most important virtue to have on a student publication. We’re all busy. We all have classes, but you have to be patient for a bit. Now, I’m not say so patient that you just avoid conflict or wait until the last minute because you know it’ll get done. I’m saying that you just have to keep it cool and calm under pressure. The issue will get done. Your staff will celebrate, and you will put the spaces with the em dash. It’s going to get done. You just have to wait for the final product.
Keeping all of this in mind, I hope all of you are able to make it through your deadlines and have your issues come out wonderfully, or if you just need a break, remember, dancing is always an option. In fact, I’ve been known to do it myself: