It is a very exciting time to be a student here at UR. Everyone can feel the tension of transition in the air as we move up the college rankings and see our school in the headlines.
Here at the Campus Times, we are undergoing heavy transitions as well. The last year saw big changes for our publication, and even more improvements are close on the horizon.
The paper is now in color on the front and back, the layouts are all new and improved, and new features have been added, such as the calendar on Page Two. As a staff, we made a concerted effort to look closely at every aspect of our publication and make the appropriate adjustments. We have done a lot so far and hope to continue in this vein.
And now, the CT has a totally new staff, with new opportunities for leadership and improvement. The Publisher position was created to streamline the organization, oversee the business and keep the development of the paper moving forward.
Formerly, the Editor-in-Chief had responsibility for all aspects of the paper, whether it was on or off the page. By focusing the responsibilities of the Editor-in-Chief to content-related matters only, it is our hope that the material of the paper can improve and grow along with the rest of the Campus Times organization.
Beyond the creation of a Publisher, almost all of the editor positions have been turned over to new staffers (except for a couple whom we decided to keep around for a little while longer). Many of these new editors are freshmen who got involved early and moved up the ranks quickly. The management of the CT could not be more excited to see what sorts of approaches all of these new editors will take to their sections and the new ideas they bring.
The Business Manager of the paper also changed over winter break. Josh Rosen, a graduate of the College and a current Simon student, will be the first student Business Manager. When reviewing the way the business end of the house operated, it was clear that the Business Manager position would be a great way to incorporate the Simon School and all of its students’ expertise into the Campus Times. Hopefully, more Simon students will get involved in selling ads and taking part in the CT.
And now comes the time when I urge the whole student body to get involved. There is a job here for almost anyone. We need people to sell advertisements, write sports articles, news articles, CD reviews, movie reviews, draw comics, take photographs, copy edit pieces, lay out pages, work on the Web site and much, much more.
It is likely that you can find a venue here for any interest you may have, so stop by the office any Wednesday night.
But whether it’s with the Campus Times or not, get involved in something. This is an exciting time at UR and an exciting time in all of our lives. Nowhere but college do we have the opportunity to pursue anything we want, whether we have done it before or not.
Never after college are there endless extracurricular groups begging for our membership. So do it now, join a group now, get involved now. The Campus Times is a great start; it will help connect you to all the different facets of UR. We here are looking forward to another exciting year, and we hope you will be a part of it.
Jarrett is a member of the class of 2009.
