Writing for The Odyssey can be a lot of work for a full time college student. Working with me, as your Editor In Chief, can also be a lot of work. When I am passionate about something, I don't back down. It shows when I work for Odyssey. I've been known to get on your case if you don't submit an article for the week. I've been known to bombard you with emails and GroupMe messages on days we have meetings. I've been known to scare my Minnesota based team with my Jersey accent. I've been known to provide cookies or snacks to every meeting. I've been known to celebrate my team's successes.
Here are some things my team is known for.
1. Showing up to meetings
My first Odyssey meeting I had 6 people come out of 12 writers total. My last meeting I had 18 of my 20 writers show up. My team is dedicated and understand how important meetings can be.
2. Writing amazing articles
It's normal for my team to write an article with 30-70,000 Facebook Shares. I've had multiple articles go viral and get a spot in local newspapers. They are wicked talented and always quality work. I never have to worry about something below average, my expectations have ALWAYS been exceeded.
3. Motivating each other
When someone is having a slow week or a bad case of Writer's Block, they usually post in the GroupMe asking for suggestions. Everyone jumps in and suggests new ideas. They all work not only as a team but as a family.
4. Motivating me
There are days when I feel like a bad editor. I can sense when my writers are disappointed with the way something was published (maybe it published later than expected or maybe someone changed their title) and I feel bad. When only half of my team showed up to my first meeting I began second guessing myself and wondering if I was the right person for the job. My team does an excellent job of motivating me. They praise me when I host a good meetings, help answer questions and edit their articles. My team keeps me going and are part of the reason why I love The Odyssey.
5. Working Hard
I'm a college student too and I get it. After a long day of classes you may not want to walk across campus and go to a meeting. But you do it anyway. After a tiring week you may not want to write an article. Or maybe it's spring break and you don't want to write anything. But you do it anyway. I have never seen harder workers than my writers. They know what's expected of them and never disappoint me.
Being an Editor-In-Chief is never easy. However, my team is great and it is always worth it. I love you all so much, thank you for making my first semester as an Editor, a memorable one.
