A Story of Growth
Suzan Odabasi
Issue date: 5/6/09 Section: Editors' Reflection
When I arrived at St. Norbert College, one of the first things I asked people on campus was, "How can I start writing for the newspaper?" But I soon was disappointed to find out that, at this time, the paper hardly even existed. The 2006/07 editor published a few pages here and there but failed to respond to any of my emails inquiring about how I could get involved. Because I knew one of the people on the team, I managed to sneak in a few articles throughout the year, and some of them even ended up on the front page-not for their great quality, but simply because there was nothing else to publish.
Little did I know at the time that only a few months later I would be part of the most successful rebirth the St. Norbert Times has ever seen. With only a handful of people we grew the paper back into what it is supposed to be-in Fr. Roland De Peaux's words, "a vehicle for honesty, truthful and courageous information, […] a beacon for the enlightened progress of St. Norbert College, protecting it from half-truths and misinformation."
I have wanted to be a writer and a journalist since eighth grade, but it was only during the past two years that I began getting a glimpse of truly understanding why. As a journalist, I want to seek the truth. I want to seek the truth free from bias, limiting social ideologies and for the pure pleasure of watching meaning grow on a page. I write to please my deepest longing-to make sense of the world; not to please others, not to win awards, not to build my résumé. The experience of writing for a student newspaper like the Times is invaluable; it enabled me to experiment, test my limits and challenge the system in a safe environment. It even allowed me to lead an area of the newspaper. During my first year, I led the Opinion section and then switched to Features in my second year. Together with my staff writers, I explored countless topics that affect SNC on a daily basis-first in editorial pieces, later through the objective lens of a Features writer.
Little did I know at the time that only a few months later I would be part of the most successful rebirth the St. Norbert Times has ever seen. With only a handful of people we grew the paper back into what it is supposed to be-in Fr. Roland De Peaux's words, "a vehicle for honesty, truthful and courageous information, […] a beacon for the enlightened progress of St. Norbert College, protecting it from half-truths and misinformation."
I have wanted to be a writer and a journalist since eighth grade, but it was only during the past two years that I began getting a glimpse of truly understanding why. As a journalist, I want to seek the truth. I want to seek the truth free from bias, limiting social ideologies and for the pure pleasure of watching meaning grow on a page. I write to please my deepest longing-to make sense of the world; not to please others, not to win awards, not to build my résumé. The experience of writing for a student newspaper like the Times is invaluable; it enabled me to experiment, test my limits and challenge the system in a safe environment. It even allowed me to lead an area of the newspaper. During my first year, I led the Opinion section and then switched to Features in my second year. Together with my staff writers, I explored countless topics that affect SNC on a daily basis-first in editorial pieces, later through the objective lens of a Features writer.
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