If you've ever been sandwiched in a crowd of junior high schoolers reuniting after two long months of summer camp, you might be able to picture The Collegian newsroom on Sunday.
If there is a group of people eager to share summer updates, it's journalists. "Did you hear about the string of robberies?" "Guess what! I'm working on Metro staff this semester!" "Oh my god, have you seen the new Venues design? It's so hot."
It was loud even for newsroom standards, and trying to navigate through groups of reporters, editors and designers required pivot movements and graceful interpretive-dance shimmys. The other editors and I couldn't believe all the signs of life. The smaller summer staff wasn't shy of volume, but the fall's sheer number of people is unbeatable.
We attribute it to the excitement of the new semester, the bottomless potential of new positions and the adrenaline of once again strolling down College Avenue. I hope this infection explains our skipping Web editor, calm managing editors, and cheerful football editor who someone swears was smiling and cracking jokes.
Hopefully, you're as excited as we are to get back where the action is and ready for the roller coaster ride of a semester we're predicting.
In addition to some new features and experiences, which my Monday column addresses, we're really cracking the whip on our bloggers. So look out every Monday for the wacky adventures of the Get a Nightlife bloggers, check out the most updated news on Penn State football on the new Footblog, the inaugural Fashion blog getting ready to launch, and many more.
This blog is your peak into the inner workings of your student newspaper. I'll try to answer age-old questions like: Why do the lunch menus sometimes disappear? Who writes the pithy police briefs and logs? What goes into reporting on Board of Trustees meeting? How does the campus editor select which events to preview and which events to cover? What does the Borough Council do?
I'll also touch on big news about media. You may not care the Bancrofts sold the Wall Street Journal to Rupert Murdoch, but it might be affecting who and how you get your news. And that's what we call "newsworthy."
If you'd like to join us: Come to The Collegian offices on 123 S. Burrowes with a blue book and a pencil prepared to write a short news story based on a set of facts.
Tryout times are:
3 to 4 p.m. or 6 to 7:30 p.m. on Sept. 4 and 5
3 to 4 p.m. on Sept. 6
Here's some basic facts about The Collegian -- and check back next Tuesday for more top secret Collegian news:
1. We have nearly 200 students in the news division doing writing, editing, shooting photos, designing pages and creating sensational graphics.
2. We also are full-time students and most of us have a semblance of a social life.
3. We are not all journalism majors. We have biology majors, engineers, crime, law and justice, and many others. We think these people are extremely well-rounded and are jealous of all their sweet skills.
4. We are all interested in finding out what's going on at Penn State -- be it in the maze of the Athletic department, the offices of Old Main or just on the sidewalks of Pollock Road -- and telling you.