Editor in chief says goodbye

By Katie Powers

Spending my last year as editor in chief of The Santa Clara was not easy, and it certainly was not glamorous.

Yet over the past four years, I've learned more in our humble newsroom than I could have ever learned in a classroom -- how cliché. I have also had more fun.

Newspaper is not only about learning and fun, of course. Debating what goes into our newspaper each week is more stimulating than some simulated classroom situation. It's real. There is no absolute code of ethics, no Bible of Journalism guiding us wisely.

We've been called insensitive, anti-university, inaccurate and even classist. We published a funny, but cheap shot, about Linkin Park, which has become by far the most commented (and hated) article on our Web site. We ran needless profanity -- thanks Lupe Fiasco -- which caused an angry wake-up call at 7 a.m. on a Thursday.

We've taken the heat for covering the sentencing of two well-known water polo players. We've had problems interviewing coaches and athletes without going through the public relations department, which led to angry phone calls, e-mails and text messages. Now, we are dealing with all this Senior Ball business.

I don't like to upset people around the university. I don't even like to upset my staff. But after working a year as editor in chief, I've learned that you can't always please everyone. Reporting the news has never been easy. I don't want to make us out to be noble warriors, but if anything, I think we are sometimes a little misunderstood.

Just to clarify how a newspaper works, the opinion of one columnist, opinion writer or even an editorial does not mean our entire newspaper staff agrees.

But when it comes to reporting, we can guarantee that we report fairly and ethically. It's something we don't take lightly.

We, like you, are students trying to learn, but every week, we publish our decisions for 6,000 people to read. And judge. If just thinking about that gives you some kind of challenging, daunting, exciting feeling, then let's face it, you too should strive to be a journalist.

Yet, as I'm learning, becoming a journalist isn't easy. If you think you have a hard time finding a job right now, try getting into an industry that is dying and impenetrable. For now, I'm just anticipating next Thursday, when I won't feel a pit in my stomach, waiting to either gloat or cower over a good or bad issue.

But that also means no more fun columns about alcohol in the library, pubic hair and ghosts. No more long Wednesday nights or tears of sweat and glory.

Today, I sink back into obscurity, but I hope you hear from me in a few years.

It's been a good run, TSC.

Katie Powers is editor in chief of The Santa Clara. This is her final issue.