Notes for the next Editor In Chief

These days, I find myself reading a lot of editorials written by our former Editor-in-Chief, Maryia Spirydonava. Looking back, the rest of the executive board at the time always gave her so much trouble. Between secret projects we wouldn’t tell her about, gatherings in the office, and little easter eggs we’d leave in the print for her to notice the morning after, her frustration towards us was so justified and something I can understand more and more as the time passes. I wonder how she had the heart to always forgive us every time we pulled the stunts that we did.

I don’t know why we were like that. Not just back then, but even now. Distrustful towards people who exist to be on your side and help you. Maryia was the same age as us and cared about this club more than us, but we saw her as someone who would stop us or restrict us.

None of us are good at this, and if we think we’re good enough, we aren’t. The fact is that we aren’t professionals, we’re just amateurs. Of course, this is the student paper, so too much influence from professionals and outside sources is dangerous. But to think you know it all, about journalism and/or about the world, makes you no better than a rebellious middle schooler who thinks school is a waste of time.

I’m finally starting to understand the meaning of Maryia’s words — editorials, conversations, private messages — and how valuable her advice always was. It all came from experiences I should have realized she had to endure because of us. I didn’t pay attention, so I had to spend my term re-learning what she already tried to warn me about.

Something people discuss a lot at Stevens is “playing the game.” In the past, because of who was around me, I was led to believe that this was just kissing up to people of higher positions to be on their good side.

I used to look down on people who I thought did that, but I’ve realized something recently. Isn’t “playing the game” just being a cooperative person who other people find pleasant to work with? Why would someone want to work with you if you’re untrustworthy, annoying, or disrespectful?

Is it trendy to put down people who want to help you? You think that they’ve given up on you, they’re ignoring you, so just screw it. But in reality, aren’t you the one giving up on them? I feel sad to have held a defeatist mindset like this for so long, up until the point where now it’s nearly too late.

Anyway, although I have many hopes for the next EIC, I acknowledge that it’s their decision to give my thoughts a chance. They could be reading this right now and think that I’ve got it all wrong. I hope that isn’t the case. If they think that, we’ll only be digging ourselves deeper into a hole of news that no one trusts or respects.

Like I mentioned in my piece last week, change only happens if you have an open mind. You don’t have to carry the weight of the whole world by yourself — others are there to help you. I’ll be in Hoboken after graduation, and so are many alumni who have been in all of our shoes. The only way for us to better ourselves is to seek help.