April 29, 2003 Online Since 1996 Vol 77 No. 47
Our Perspective... A look back
Second-annual ‘Newsmakers of the Year’ section reviews stunning academic year

    Continuing the year-old tradition of this publication, Thursday we will present a review of the top 10 stories of the year as seen through the eyes of this award-winning collegiate publication.
   One news year on a university campus can produce a wide array of memorable stories that helped shape life on campus. Events focus on life, death, policy and matters of opinion.
   This year, of course, was no different.
   An extensive list of issues provided a challenge for a staff of student-journalists who strive to produce a highly informative product every Tuesday and Thursday.


Editors remember a year in student journalism
   Being the news editor at The Appalachian is, to say the least, an experience.
    It actually comes down to trial by fire, but the results are worth it.
    And these results are about more than just personal change or even the success of the paper.
    They are about the accomplishments of the people who take on an organization like The Appalachian, willing to persevere and to learn in the face of challenge.
    This newspaper is not for the weak-minded or the faint of heart; it is for those made of an incredibly tough material, able to withstand stress and difficulty and the often insane expectations of the associate editors and editor-in-chief.
Commentary
   When people think about journalism, they normally think about the reporter out covering his or her beat, interviewing sources and writing a story.
   Sure, that’s a major part in the process of creating a newspaper, but the writers, to use an extremely cliched phrase, are just the tip of the iceberg.
   The reporter’s job is only the first step in the process for the story to reach you, the reader.
   As the production editor for The Appalachian this year, I’ve had the pleasure of working with a very talented group of people who shape the reporter’s raw and sometimes ugly story for publication (sorry writers, although I started as one of you, I’m still biased).

Bethel Barefoot
Associate Editor


James Nix
Associate Editor
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