When I joined the Agora as a freelance writer during the 2020 Fall Semester, I had no idea how much it would come to mean to me.
I also had no idea that I would become the Agora editor for the 2021-2022 school year. That’s what everyone says, it seems. But it’s true.
When I joined the Agora, I was fairly new to journalism. I didn’t know very much about AP Style or even how to conduct an interview.
I was freelancing, and I hadn’t taken the Intro to Journalism class, so my very first interview was trial by fire. All I could do was jump right in and hope for the best.
I’ll be honest. I didn’t fall in love with journalism immediately.
I was overwhelmed by the sheer number of differences between MLA and AP Style.
Conducting interviews was harder than I expected. Sometimes, sources were elusive, and I had to ask hard questions.
When taking photos for my articles, I had to approach strangers and ask for their names to include in the cutline.
I’m a shy person who doesn’t really like to take initiative in social situations, so these instances really challenged me.
Over time, though, I began appreciating the journalistic process. I had always watched news and read newspapers, but being a journalist gives you an entirely different perspective.
Because I spoke with MCCC faculty on a regular basis, I began to see how everything in the school is connected. Often, while I was researching for one story, I would discover a completely different one.
I was, and still am, always on the lookout for potential stories, which automatically made me feel much more connected to the events going on at MCCC.
Quickly, feature articles became my favorites to write.
Being in the Agora has forced me out of my comfort zone, and I’ve grown a lot both journalistically and as a person. I’m more confident, and interviewing people is a lot less scary.
I’m excited and grateful for the opportunity to lead next semester’s staff.
Over the summer, I plan to make minor changes to the design of the paper, namely emphasizing the stylistic differences between sections like Opinion, News and Features.
I also want to find ways to facilitate more collaboration between staff. Over the summer, I’ll be looking into ways to further engage the staff.
Additionally, I want to build relationships with MCCC administrators. I would like to have an open house where staff and community members can ask questions and get to know the Agora staff.
I’m hopeful that next school year, the pandemic will be much less prevalent, so we will be able to have in-person events again.
Noah has done a great job as the editor for this school year, and I certainly have big shoes to fill.
I am looking forward to continuing to produce great stories and guiding the staff in their endeavors.
