in EWN MUNevELSMNeR KL h BN (e rats
your teammate approaches you,
you see her hand extend, holding the
baton. Your feet move to keep pace as
RCI ewe USM BECTON TOR COLeby
hands blossom out, creating a target,
not just for the baton, but also for the
responsibility, the confidence, the
weight of the entire collective. You are
the runner; you are the next editor-in-
chief of the Other Press.

f HE OTHER J OB
The sprint is a year long and starts in
September. Douglas College gathers for
orientation, and the parking-lot-like
SIT bbr Tema R aN oclane tric
campus fills up with young minds.
Sitting at a foldout table in the
concourse is an optimistic individual,
ebuh yom comeat lc e-mretvu mess maar om Coyers4
legacy that is the Douglas College
newspaper: the Other Press.

With a welcoming smile, the
editor-in-chief of the only student
newspaper on campus showcases the
Lt iler talon mRe wr ama elon een ounelss
the post secondary institution and
sometimes to students who have been
enrolled in the college for years already.

“When you are talking to people
and trying to recruit people to the
newspaper,” says Natalie Serafini,
editor-in-chief from 2014-15, “they
are often surprised that we have a
newspaper.”

“It’s also surprising the amount of
eye) mau area durante Ce LAME WE)
Jacey Gibb, editor-in-chief from 2013-
14. “Tt sounds bad to say surprising.”

During the length of the
orientation, the editor-in-chief is not
only present to increase readership,
but also to recruit contributors by
introducing the variety of roles that
goes into running a publication:
writers, designers, illustrators,
photographers, distributors, etc. The
editor-in-chief is not only the boss, but
also the ambassador.

“You only need to get one person
for these events to be worthwhile,”
says Sharon Miki, editor-in-chief from
2012-13). “You are never going to have
Meade ar Tete Roa bi CeO Br Vm suey
and 1,000 new readers. It’s Douglas
CoN ek mace Clee veet VIM qeyeebenieneblara
You only need to get one.”

The Other Press, like a collegiate
program, is a revolving door for
students to collaborate and gain
experience in preparation for the real
world. Each year, the editor-in-chief
position opens up. The incumbent can
choose to reapply and serve another
term, or choose to leave the shoes for
someone else to fill.

While much of it feels like
training for the job of the future, being
the leader of a student newspaper is
a responsibility that weighs heavy,
ear V hm Ustoo mn coru.enetom lane)
group of unseasoned writers, editors,
and contributors. With ego and
inexperience colliding, it is the job of
the editor-in-chief to both calm the
waters and steer the ship.

Bolan cor W ol me) mre mate RTT

ye SeUme(oreU BET mand astm pL oueyrTet A
says Liam Britten, editor-in-chief
from 2008-10. “That was challenging:
dealing with people who should just
not have been there. You just can’t get
rid of these people. It took a while” r )
Be Geet e (ou foyer omer em aayl)
experience,” says Gibb, “where I’ve
gotten a piece—especially as a section
editor—and you are just reading it and
you're like there is no way this person
reread what they wrote, because this
CeCe Tem ame UCR OTe eLC ae [aco eTE
ee Deon ,
“[The Other Press] equipped me
with skills like dealing with problem
children and persevering through
RCV Maer Monesbee er uLonlet RM oK
you don't know what you're doing and
you are just flailing through it,” says
Cody Klyne, editor-in-chief from 2ou-
12. “And you do and you are kind of just
given a lot of responsibility and
you can take that and really
run with it or you can sit on
it and not really have any
ambition for the newspaper
for your term.”

 

    

STUDENT APATHY AND ©THER PROBLEMS FOR
A CONVERSATION WITH SIX LEADERS
BY ELLieT CHAN

maa kaa TZ

 
 
  
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
  

THE OTHER wens
ebteCelooee NN mere mast atnia
floor is the Other Press
headquarters in Room
1020. During the Fall
EDeCe MA AnelacoMcy-seelacie uch
the collective
Peetu Modan!
the bowels of the
campus to produce
a newspaper. The
scieecm sim snacoyey
black metal stands at
rohan. vote. vote mon isdny
traffic areas of the
school, but with only
50 per cent pick up—
roughly 500 hundred
hard copy readers
per week—it often
seems like a job that
is supplying without
demand.

Without a need to
ire maa ae IS
to become apathetic.

The editor-in-chief

term at the Other Press

is indeed a marathon, but

the leader is not running
alone. Leading a team and
keeping them from falling

into the grips of apathy is as
challenging as keeping up with
FW ast M soot Vim adet-1ayosU (ay ome MTS
job is not just about meeting
deadlines; it’s about producing
quality work.

“I guess one of the main
points is showing that you care,”
says Eric Wilkins, the current
editor-in-chief of the Other Press.
“If you don't, nobody else is going
to follow. First and foremost is
punt Vabotom ce) I Ua IeMe CR ONLSNL EES EeTa elt)
possible.”

“T know as editor-in-chief,
one thing that was very frustrating
was how hard it was to get people to

Ss