Sadie Staker, Video Editor – The Scarlet & Black

Working for The Scarlet & Black has been a long-time goal of mine since my sophomore year as I loved storytelling and was eager to explore the field of journalism. However, due to my tendency to get too busy with schoolwork and extracurricular activities, I never felt like I had time for a new job. Eventually, I earned enough academic credits to take only three courses per semester in fourth year. The chance to work for The S&B had finally come! So I applied for the position and was accepted as a video editor last semester.

During my time as a video editor, I attended events, participated in activities, visited rooms, and met people on campus and in the community that I otherwise would not have met. I learned basic journalistic skills like how to pester people with emails, edit quickly, and conduct interviews. I got hit with Nerf bullets, ran alongside the cross country team, explored the makerspace, learned about the food systems in Grinnell, and became friends with the famous dining hall “Cheery Checkers.” All in all, I had fun.

Working for the newspaper was fun, but also challenging. I was continually impressed by the talent and dedication of the S&B staff as they accomplished the nearly impossible task of publishing an entire newspaper each week while juggling their school work and other commitments. The creation of the weekly newspaper is made possible by great leadership, effective workflows and good organization, but above all by the passion that each individual brings to their job. Everyone was welcoming, friendly, helpful and forgiving towards me as I learned to do my job and integrate into the team. Her good-natured humor created a wonderful working environment and I'm glad to have been part of a great team and a great newspaper.