Editorial: Lessons from the Year that We Cannot Learn in a Classroom

My first published editorial for the Log was a piece about the lessons anyone could learn from the death of a schoolmate of mine from high school who died in Iraq. However, his lessons—to live for something, and to make plans that are flexible—could not be learned in the classroom. Ever since that editorial, I have learned many other lessons that I had to experience in an extra-curricular setting rather than an academic one. While my professors have been wonderful and imparted much wisdom upon me in the classroom, their academic lessons were only a part of the higher education package. The other part came from my experiences on the Log and in other organizations outside the classroom. These experiences provided the fully rounded education for which colleges strive. 

The first lesson I learned is that many people have many different working styles and some may not mesh with my own. When I started my tenure as Editor-in-Chief, I had many high ambitions for this organization. I wanted to get the Log online, as my predecessor had begun to do, and I wanted to change publication from every three weeks to every two. While the Log accomplished those goals, we had a difficult time getting the website up online. The major obstacle to achieving this goal was the major differences between each members personalities and their understanding of the goals. However, once we began to understand how to work with each other, we were able to create not only a much better product  but also a much better organization.

The second lesson I learned is that I cannot do everything on my own. I also had to learn that when I could not complete a task as well as I would like it to have been done, I had to "let it go." If an article was not written well or the issue was not distributed, I took care of it myself. As a high achiever, I also expected everything to be perfect, especially since I did not want any potentially poor quality product attached to my name. While the task was completed, an unfortunate byproduct developed: I grew more physically and emotionally stressed every day. Outside forces took their toll, too. By the end of the semester, I nearly had a mental breakdown. The editors and writers saw me slowly crashing and were concerned about me as well. It was during winter break that I came to the realization that I could not continue working like that. I learned that I needed to let go of minor mistakes that would show up in the paper after publication. I needed to learn that if an article did not come in, the world was not going to end. This semester has been much easier on the whole organization, because we were able to sit down and discuss what everyone's expectations were. Once we knew what to expect from each other and the goals of the organization, not only was I able to let go of my obsessive control issues, but the editors and the writers learned how to create a better newspaper as well.

The third lesson I had to learn is that life is a big game of Whac-a-Mole. Once you think you have conquered some challenge, another one pops up. In college, we students are lucky in that we have a difficult end of the semester, but once we finish that final, we move on. However, outside the classroom we have constant challenges that keep coming up. We have to pay bills that never seem to go away, we have to continue to work so that we can pay those bills, and we will continue to have personal and work relationships that we have to maintain. When someone is a member of an organization, he or she will find that problems will never go away. One week, he has to solve a budget issue, the next he has to solve a personnel issue. Essentially, we need always to be ready for the next challenge in our lives, as they certainly will not be going away any time soon.

The forth lesson I learned is to always have a positive attitude and to kindle a desire to be a part of an organization. A negative, selfish attitude is one of the worst acids to add to a group dynamic. Now, the importance of remaining realistic is key to an organization's effectiveness. However, there is a considerable difference between being realistic with a positive attitude and the drive to accomplish a goal and being realistic with a negative attitude and no drive to better an organization. No matter what attitude a person brings to a group, the group still has to accomplish a task. However, how much better will the group be if that person brings in a positive attitude and a drive to accomplish the task in the best manner possible? From personal experience, the writer who comes in with great ideas and a positive attitude adds more to the meetings that does the writer who comes in with no ideas, adds nothing to the meeting, and a negative attitude.

As I finish my last editorial as Editor-in-Chief of this newspaper, I can say that at my time at Salem State has most definitely been worthwhile. Not only did I learn how to write a lead for a news story, how to create an advertisement, and even how crazy Nietzsche was. I learned that I need to find ways to work with others without giving up, that I cannot do everything on my own, that challenges will always come, and that a positive attitude and a desire to accomplish something will help any organization.

From the time I started at Salem State to the day I will walk this May 22, I will have transferred from a private university, gone out of my way to get 27 credits from said university and 24 AP credits to transfer. I have commuted an hour to Salem an estimated 255 times for class alone, passed all my classes, joined the Log, eventually elected Editor-in-Chief, and written countless papers and articles. Now, it is time for me to move on to the next step in my journey through life. The lessons I have learned at Salem State are priceless, and I hope to apply those lessons to everyday of my life. Stay classy, Salem State!