I am going to let you in on a little secret: being an editor on the Yearbook staff is a lot of work. It can be very rewarding and fun at times, but there are times where you feel like sobbing, ripping your hair out and even moving to a different country. That is how stressful Yearbook can be.
Along with editing the work of other staff members, I had my own work to take care of. One of the stories for the 2016 publication that I had to write was for a journalism conference that I attended the summer before, and in order to receive my scholarship, I had to write an article about my experience.
I knew exactly what I was going to write about. I had it all planned out on paper and thought it out in my head. However, stress decided to get the best of me. Despite the fact that I this wonderful article ready to write, I ended up losing my plans, and my ideas left my head once deadline rolled around.
My best work is done when everything is thought out, but there are times when I found that being under pressure really does bring out the best in my writing.
This is what being stressed on yearbook deadline looks like:
As I pulled up to the front entrance of Birmingham Shuttlesworth International Airport, the anticipation of attending the Al Neuharth Free Spirit and Journalism Conference sparked within me. Being from a small town and barely leaving the tight borders of Alabama, Washington, D.C. seemed overwhelming.
It was very important to me that I let everyone at my school know that Washington, D.C., was larger than our small town, and that I was very nervous going there. Why? I am not sure. I thought it would sound nice in my article, especially since I have never been to a big city like D.C. before.
At the conference, I became best friends with 50 other high-school students who share the same passion for journalism as me, met iconic figures like the family of the conference’s founder, Al Neuharth, and NBC’s Meet the Press moderator Chuck Todd, and fully grasped the importance of my First Amendment rights as a student journalist.
I think the real story that I wanted to tell in the yearbook was how Chuck Todd becomes aggravated very easily. I watched him interview Mike Huckabee, and, well, Mr. Todd was not very enthusiastic or impressed with the lack of answered he was getting from him. But being on a word limit did not allow me to do that, so I had to sneak him in.
Throughout the conference, Neuharth’s wisdom would make an appearance in the urging words of our presenters, telling us to proudly wear our titles as the best high school journalist from our home state, and, overall, continue releasing our inner free spirit for the world to recognize.
Every time I read this, I feel very proud. In a very rushed time frame, I was able to write this. See? Being under pressure has its benefits.
As rising journalists, we learned that it is our job to be two steps ahead and accurate with our work. Along with having what 2004 Free Spirit alumnae Mary Pilon called, “an ungodly love for a craft,” we have to remember that we hold the future of the world in our hands. Never had I imagined that I would be told that I’m part of the next generation that will contribute to the next big idea. Even though I am just beginning this journey to strive to be one of the best in the business, it is an honor to be one of the many who will continue the legacy of the legendary free spirit, Al Neuharth.
To confirm, Ms. Pilon is very correct: you do have to be crazy to love journalism. It requires so much time and effort, and it can consume you if you let it. However, the results are satisfying. Just like this article. Even thought it took about 20 to 30 minutes to write, I was very pleased with it, and so was my yearbook advisor.
Moral of the story: if you find yourself crunched for time when it comes to writing, do it under pressure. You may be surprised at what comes out of it.
