Farewell from the Editor

Editor shares secrets

I am going to let you in on a little secret. Despite how many names we misspelled, how many facts we got wrong and how many big stories we missed in the past year, we did at least try to do things right. And that is the honest truth.

Seeing as how this is my last issue as editor in chief, I feel it’s an appropriate time to let you in on the behind-the-scenes of The Breeze. Shocking, I know, that the newspaper doesn’t just magically appear in the stacks next to your classroom every Monday and Thursday — there actually is work that is done to write it, edit it, design it, fill it, sell it, print it, and distribute it.

Editors in chief live lives that are far from average. I am probably the only student at JMU who was threatened to be sued, personally, more times than I can count — some people having solid reasoning and some who didn’t stand a chance. It’s one of those things that people never really tell you how to deal with, they just say, "Never, ever apologize." I never really got that, but at least I’ve made it this far without having to enter a courtroom. I’ll celebrate that victory a year from now. (That one year thing is very important, and if you don’t understand why, look it up in the media law book that I’m sure all of you keep on your nightstands.)

I don’t think people realize how many e-mails editors get a day. When I open my breezeeditor account, I have anywhere from 14 to 42 emails — and I promise they are not all love letters of affection. When I was the assistant style editor two years ago, I received about five to 10 emails a day. Sometimes I wonder how many letters to the editor I’d get if e-mail was never invented.

Breeze editors are in the office seven days a week. On Wednesdays and Sundays, we have been known to stay here for more than 15 hours. It is a huge responsibility to find the news, write about the news, and package it all together — and then fight the crowds that criticize the "liberal media" the next day. Yes, we know what you think of us, but the press isn’t going anywhere and there’s nothing you can do about it.

I’ve hired people. I’ve fired people. I’ve made people laugh and I’ve probably made people cry. People have made me cry too, by the way, I’ve just sulked and yelled to my poor roomies or my comforting boyfriend. Thanks to everyone whose open ears have helped me get through four exciting and challenging years at The Breeze.

I have one last request to all my readers as I make my way off the masthead. Please give the new staff room to grow. Working on an award-winning college newspaper isn’t easy, and chances are they’ll make mistakes, just as I did. They’ll probably misspell a few names and get a few facts incorrect, but they’re trying hard to do things right.

Best of luck to everybody in the year to come. And whoever sent me that anonymous pat a few months ago, thank you for being my source of inspiration during so many stressful moments. Farewell!

Alison Fargo is a senior SMAD major who is a bit nervous about being an underdog again.