Rider University - Shadow Yearbook (Lawrenceville, NJ)

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ness manager who has been planning his advertising, the editor can begin to devise the physical format of the paper. Rulers and erasers are seen flashing across his desk. Profanity is heard coming from his mouth. While all this is going on, copy continues to be writ- ten and handed in. Reporters come in and out of the newsroom, relaying tidbits of information. Conversation usually goes something like this: Reporter No. 1: I couldn't get that interview I was sup- posed to set up until tomorrow. Reporter No. 2: I have to check out a few more sources before I can write anything. Reporter No. 3: Me, too. Reporter No. 4: Why does the editor look like he's ready to throw-up? Contented with the fact that Thursday will probably be a late night, the editor tries to push the staff into working a little faster in hope that they can salvage some sleep from the rest of the night. He meets with the usual replies: Managing Editor: l'm going down to get something to eat. Sports Editor: No way we're going to fill the sports page this week. Editorial Director: How come we never get any letters? 'rf' 'fre Q S ,pager -hi ' Wx--i. .40 'K i ' t 4 1 1 j . ,,. H' -i 3 , Y ,S ' . '-': e I :fi f f f. ., v. . , 1-gQ41z:v?r.:1-. -I. ,Y r M..- 1 . I ,i-af? 1-.ig ., .f.5-n-kwa . T ' .5Ee??'E.e, ' V .---F After downing a couple of aspirin. the editor contin- ues with his layout while reading copy, writing headlines and cropping pictures-all at the same time. As the as- sociate and assistant editors finish their stories they be- gin to associate with and assist the editor in the job of getting copy read, headlines written, etc. Sometime be- tween the hours of 2 and 4 a.m. the work for the night is completed. A volunteer is called for to take the fin- ished copy to Merlo and Sons, printers in Trenton. It is usually someone who is brave enough to ride through Trenton between 2 and 4 a.m. The editor doesn't volunteer. Thursday evening is wrap-up night for the News. All of the stories and interviews that have been put off so far during the week must be completed on this day. Captions for pictures must be written. The copy that was sent to the printers earlier in the morning must be carefully re-read when it comes back in proof, as well as measured again for layout purposes. The editorial must be discussed and written. Oh, Christ! lt's 4 a.m. and we still haven't started our editorial, is a familiar cry. The editor and his staff try frantically to put the pa- per to bed early but rarely will this happen. Often they are up to greet the sun. Friday morning, 7:30 a.m. Up and at 'eml lt's time to go the printers. Everybody who travels there learns to play a fun game. lt's called the Try to Read Proofs While Still Half Asleep Game. lt's a very easy game to play when you've gotten to bed after 4 a.m. As you stand there in the dark, crowded room with page proofs coming off and linotype machines working busily, you develop a curious feeling about your fellow man-you hate him. You wonder why you go through all the work and frustration to put out a college newspaper. You wonder why you have to exist on four hours sleep a night and often neglect your studies. You wonder whether you should stop off to see a psychoanalyst on 65

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Copy! Copy! All The News That Fits We Print Wdt.q.., 1 -,af ?z.,-1.5122-' -51 f. g.-,iw tl .gen A- '!,5 -AA 'VJ Cru I-,Qi H- 'V 6-in , F V. , .,., V H, r -if l if . , - 'I iv- 'IF - -,,-.lv -..- i Q, . ,.,.,.. - ,,,, M ......- . . - -, '- H. 6 ,bi if by G. J. Phillips, Rider News editor A few semesters ago, it was written by a former editor that the Rider News was put together by 47 Ieprechauns who miraculously performed their magical wonders every week, working into the wee hours of the morning while most students were fast asleep with visions of term papers and grade reports dancing in their heads- and, voila, a college newspaper appeared every Friday afternoon. Although it is agreed that the appearance of the Rider News seems often due to a miracle, it is not performed by a group of Ieprechauns, but rather by a small, closely-knit team of energetic, highly dedicated students. An edition of the Rider News begins quite simply. The editor, after catching up on some much-needed sleep after a Friday paper comes off the presses, begins to think of follow-up articles, meeting coverage and fea- ture material over the weekend for the next edition. By Monday morning he has come up with a workable as- signment sheet for his staff of reporters and photo- graphers. There is always room left for late-breaking stories, which inevitably occur to disrupt any schedule which may have been planned by the editor. Monday evening is self-criticism night. The editorial board meets with faculty advisor Willard E. Lally to go over the previous week's paper. In many respects it is he who is most responsible for the success of the 64 5 N . ,af '- Uni News. He has taught Rider journalists most of what they know and has constantly preached accuracy, accu- racy, accuracy in written material. Truly interested in his students, he is always available for advice and con- sultation. Certainly enough credit hasn't been given to this man. But News reporters also learn from their peers. At the editorial board meeting everyone and anything is open to criticism. The editor is often hardest hit because he is responsible for every piece of material in the news- paper. But by the time he is editor, he is quite accus- tomed to it. Tuesday is a fairly quiet day. While the News staff is out getting stories, the editor spends a leisurely day in his office going through the mail and trying to keep up with the moves of the staff. He might even go to a few classes just to break the monotony. By Wednesday evening the News is starting to shape- up. The sound of typewriters is heard echoing through the halls of the Student Center's second floor as staff members begin to crank out copy. The copy is read and corrected for spelling, grammar, style and accuracy by the editor and whoever else is not doing anything at the moment. Headline sizes are put on the copy for head- lines to be written later. After getting the layout dummy sheets from the busi-

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your way home. But then a week comes when there isn't a Rider News to produce and you go crazy. You're lostg nothing to do but studyg how dull. When that paper comes off the presses sometime early on Friday afternoon, everyone gives a sigh of relief that it's over, yet they feel a sense of pride that something has been accomplished to help communications at Rider. A college newspaper has been completed. All kidding aside, the editorial board is a group of special people to me because they make my job as edi- tor easy. When you have people like Ricky T. Pienciakg managing editor, Bea Scala and Don Mackayg associate editorsg Debra Opdycke and Brian Wood: assistant edi- tors, Ron Solomon, editorial director, Brian McNelis, feature editor, and Craig Becker, sports editor, plus a capable business staff headed by Rob Cook and a pho- tography crew led by Mike LaCorte, you have fun while learning the trade of journalism. You learn to produce under pressure. These people, as well as the numerous staff members I haven't the time or space to mention, really deserve all the credit. The Rider News is a campus newspaper. It does not attempt to solely please either students, faculty or ad- ministration. lts only goal is to accurately present news from Rider College. lt only tries to be fair and just in all aspects of reporting. We feel we live up to this goal and we are proud of it. We receive criticism as most newspapers do, and we are grateful for it. We wouldn't learn if we couldn't ben- efit by correcting mistakes land once in a while, we will make a mistakej. Some people tell us we dig up ridi- culous stories just to put something on the front page, blow stories up out of proportion and sensationalize. They say we would be better off covering all club meet- ing and writing what Johnny Dogood did last week. To them, the several-time All-American rated Rider News answers with a brief passage taken from Leonard Shec- ter's The Jocks: To pay a newspaperman a salary to cover . . . nonsense while the ancient and honor- able art of muckraking, possibly the highest func- tion of a good newspaper, is left to dry up and die from indifference, is to be dishonest to whatever traditions the business has. SQ 66 l