Editor-in-chief bids farewell
By Ben Murzin
Walking into the Corsair was the best decision I ever made.
Professor Neuman introduced myself and another student to Dr. Ingram and said we should consider joining the Corsair.
A Thursday afternoon after getting out of class and with nothing to do for the day, I decided to go and see what the Corsair was about.
I was greeted by Mae Flener, the last Editor-in-Chief (EIC). She invited me to sit down. At the end of that meeting I was assigned my first story, The Hurricane reviews 16th unveiling.
I went to the event and I met Sarah Richards, met Enrique Viveros, our on-staff photographer, Mae was there too. I asked, “What should I write?”
“Write down everything that you can and when you get home regurgitate it all on the document,” Richards said. If I can take away one thing from my time it will be that simple advice.
After the story went to print and I saw it on paper, I realized that this Corsair thing was worth my time, I needed to be a part of this thing. I wasn’t looking to be anything more than a writer on staff at the time.
I stayed in the office with Mae and worked with her on everything she would let me work on. I didn’t really have anything else to do so this was the best option for me, to work at the paper as much as I could.
I didn’t really want the job but after some convincing from Mae, I decided to apply for the job. After a summer of training and working on the first fall semester issue, it was my turn to take on the mantle of Editor-In-Chief.
I used to joke that when I had two jobs there was one that I would leave and not think about until the next day. The other would always be at the forefront of my mind and there were serious ramifications for my actions. One a baseball stadium job and the other being EIC of the Corsair.
The job requires constant concentration. You don’t have to write if you have a staff but sometimes it is just unavoidable and you have to rewrite a story at the last minute.
With that being said there are also people that I wouldn’t have been able to do this job without. Our last Copy Editor Aubrey Lea and our current one Alexis Miller keeping up with the influx of stories and going so far as to make sure I was ok at the end of the day, even going so far as to do a final check of the stories for our ongoing coverage of the coronavirus pandemic.
Omar Forty doing layout and dealing with me asking questions during the late-night layout parties where we are the only two guests. Daniel Cheer being there for me to bounce ideas off of in the early Tuesday and Thursday mornings during the last Fall semester, even Enrique Viveros willingly going out to take photos, so I wouldn’t have too was a godsend.
The one person who kept telling me that I was doing a good job is the Corsair’s adviser Dr. Ingram. I didn’t believe her, but she kept saying it.
It’s a student-run paper, but sometimes it’s best to talk to the adviser to get her ideas on the topic. It’s not required but if you don’t know then it’s best to talk to her.
The next EIC will be Daniel Cheer, the first Journalism major to have the position in a long time. I have confidence in him and the team we are setting up for him, Enrique Viveros moving to layout editing with assistance from Marley Reynolds and Omar Forty taking over the Corsair website.
It’s a thankless job and oftentimes you don’t get any recognition that’s ok though. It’s a job like no other. The scariest part is keeping up with everybody but if you are honest with them then the staff is honest with you.
You’ll find your own style, and that’s part of the fun. It’s never as bad as it seems in the end. Look at the big picture; it’s there to make sure you don’t lose your mind. It never stops and neither do you. It gets tiring I know and sometimes you’ll want to walk away, but I urge you to reconsider.
The Corsair is the best thing that has ever happened to me. It might be the best thing for you too.
Goodbye, Farewell
Corsair Editor-In-Chief: Ben Murzin