Disclaimer: I in no way wish to accuse or offend my fellow Odyssey Creators, I only wish to voice my opinion on an issue we’ve had lately.
Usually I would vent to one specific person, but I thought this would be both hilarious and beneficial.
On the yearbook staff at my high school, we have a tendency not to meet our deadlines. Last year, we were on a pretty good roll, when suddenly in the spring we didn’t meet one of the deadlines. I’m not completely sure what caused us to miss our deadline, but I do remember how salty I was about the situation.
For grades in the class, we are evaluated on 2 main things: our ability to meet deadlines, and our participation in completing the book. So when I was assigned a spread a week before the deadline, I worked to complete it before the deadline rolled around. This meant that I would have to design my page, complete interviews, write copy and get it all approved and edited in a week. It also included at least one panic attack and a breakdown. That’s how bad I wanted that 100.
After we were able to get everything turned in a couple of days late, I remember asking what happened, and most of the responses I got included jokes. This is where the saltiness began.
This is also where a sense of professionalism is taken into account. Although we are not paid by the school in the form of money, we are “employed” by them to produce and sell a product with their name on it. If the publication and staff do not represent the school in a good way, then there will be an issue.
The same goes for Odyssey. I’ve only been with Odyssey for a short time, but I know that almost every week I receive a group message from our Editor-in-Chief saying that less than half of our creators haven't turned in articles. This always upsets me because, in most cases, creators applied on their own with an interest in joining the program, so why would some think it is okay to only occasionally turn in work when it is convenient for them?
I understand that certain circumstances can cause creators to be unable to turn it in; for example, I was out of town and brought my laptop so that I could still write my article, but by the time we got there, there was no service and no wifi. However, this does not include making up some extraordinary lie in order to get your deadline extended.
In no way am I saying that this has happened before, but it wouldn’t surprise me if it has. The only issue with a writing program for students is the students. Most of us don’t understand the difference between work and play. And that is something that only creators can fix themselves.
The only thing I can say to my fellow creators is: Do you understand what an amazing job you have? Take my advice: Just don’t procrastinate. Waiting until the last minute because is most likely the biggest cause of late submissions.
