The following anecdote must be read with your face under a flashlight and a spooky voice:
It was a dark and stormy Thursday night. The lights were dimmed outside of the Stute Office, and there was no soul in sight. Crouched in a corner with her feet tucked under her is Jiya, staring at the illuminated screen in front of her. She has sat in a singular position for several hours, back hunched over, eyes becoming dreary, hoping for the work to be submitted in time. Her fingers brush over the keys quickly in a repetitive manner, and before she knows it, the clock has rung 6 p.m. Jiya has never known what happens if she does not make the 6 p.m. printer deadline: will the newspaper not come out, will she be charged more money, or will her entire laptop explode? In fear for her life, she submits each page of the newspaper and quickly shuts her laptop in a haze. With no actual inclination of the submission going through, Jiya sits on edge until Friday morning, rocking herself back and forth, praying for a miracle, hoping that the newspaper will appear on the Howe steps Friday morning. But Friday morning rolls around, and the newspaper never appears.
In the spirit of Halloween, I thought we could talk about our fears. As this is a Stute Editorial, my biggest Stute fear is the newspaper never showing up post-submission! If you have ever been Editor-in-Chief, you understand this fear well!
As a part of my job, I review each page that my Layout Editor submits, as well as completing the news pages myself each week. I purposefully make my class schedules on Wednesdays and Thursdays lighter so I can spend my time in meetings and help during production. At 12:30 p.m. on Thursdays, I sit down to review all 10-12 pages, confirm accuracy, and I do not leave the office before 6 p.m. There are a decent number of weeks I get lucky and can leave around 4:30 p.m., but especially recently, and with how hectic my schedule has been, I have been planted in that office for six hours every week.
I have been told that if I miss my 6 p.m. deadline, I will be called as a reminder to submit. However, I have not let this happen yet. I have limited contact with my printer, and although they seem like lovely people, I do not need to be spam-called to submit my newspaper on time. I also don’t need to be in that office longer than I already am!
But when I submit the files, there is no confetti or “congrats, you submitted,” quite literally nothing happens. There is zero indication that my printer has received the files, and they will arrive by the next day. I have to send a prayer that all of The Stute’s hard work will show up on the Howe Center’s doorsteps.
I have never had this happen to me, and it would be my worst nightmare if it did. I guess I would have to call my printer and sort it out, but the idea of having the deal with that whole mess sends shivers down my spine.
I spend my Friday morning in a slight frenzy, so if you see me rushing down Wittpenn Walk, you know exactly what I am doing.
This random fear is what keeps me going. The newspaper is not just a newspaper, but an accumulation of all the hard work my team and I have done over the course of a week and a half. I chase after the relief I feel when I see the newspaper arrive on Friday morning, and the sense of accomplishment that comes with it.
Fears are not meant to stop us from pursuing what we love; they are encouragement to make sure you do everything you need to do correctly. It is my fear of the newspaper not coming out that motivates me to follow every deadline, even though I know the consequences are not as severe.
On this Halloween night, don’t let your fears get in the way of having a great time and doing what you love. Stay safe and warm Stuters, Happy Halloween!
