When I found out about my work load for the first deadline, I was overwhelmed. My mind was still centered in humid weather, hanging out with friends, and the contentness of living free of requirements. But as spring turns to summer, I can’t help but feel a sense of emptiness that I won’t have the opportunity to meet another deadline, or quickly create my second story that procrastinated a little too much. But it’s truly rewarding getting to be one nail holding together the staff that does so much behind the scenes.
Collaboration: the process of two or more people, organizations, or entities working together to achieve a shared goal or complete a task. It was something I never enjoyed, growing up as a triplet, individuality is a privilege, when isolation is available I take it because it is relieving and stress free. However, journalism has allowed me to experience the rewarding factors of collaborating. I feel rewarded when we get pizza for achieving our staff goals, when a member of staff wins Best of SNO, when we celebrate our qualification for News Team of the Year. It has taught me that collaboration is not constraining you into a team mold, but highlighting your strengths and individuality to enhance the machine that is the staff.
Journalism has taught me to ask for help. I have always been a people pleaser, unwilling to place burdens upon other people by asking for help. But I have learned the importance of confrontation; if you don’t allow yourself to correct others for their grammatical errors, or unfinished stories, then you are not looking out for them and setting the team up for success. Every minor detail counts in the staff’s big goals, so by being confrontational, the staff is slowly getting closer to achieving our goals.
Although the staff is a machine in its deadlines production process, and at times repetitive work, unlike a machine BlackandRedgister has a heart. We seek to find depth, educate our audience and produce content, not tasks or duties. Journalism has allowed me to grow with people through collaborative efforts and something that has pushed me out of my comfort zone.
“Coming together is a beginning; keeping together is progress:working together is success.”-Henry Ford
