Every week, The Lamron is delivered to newspaper stands all around campus. And every week, the staff is presented with the challenge of serving the needs of its readers with interesting or newsworthy pieces. Behind the ubiquitous navy blue header lies a staff of students committed to informing the community with articles ranging from serious issues to lighthearted entertainment.
Because of this huge responsibility, editors log 10 to 20 hours a week spending time completing various duties. On Wednesday, the day before the newspaper is printed each week, many of the editors work into the wee hours. News editor and senior Sean Kaplan is typically in the office "from around one o'clock [in the afternoon] to anywhere from 2:30 to 6:30 in the morning." Most of this time is spent arranging the layout of the newspaper and reading and checking over articles.
Managing editor and senior Chris Tripodi is also typically in the office on Wednesdays helping other section editors with layout or copy reading. Along with sophomore Copy Editor Cassandra Visconti, Tripodi reads every article in that week's edition at least once before sending the final product to editor in chief and senior Jacob Kriss.
Kriss also runs the newspaper's weekly general and editorial board meetings. During the E-board meetings, editors discuss the stories in their sections for the upcoming week. Though each section is given attention, Kriss noted that most of the meeting is spent on news. "We try to make it [gathering news stories] a collective responsibility," Kriss explained. "It's hard for one person to be aware of everything newsworthy on campus." Together, the E-board decides on an editorial, usually focused on a single issue that affects the Geneseo student body.
Editors decide exactly what content should be covered by the newspaper. "You always have to have your eyes and ears open for everything," Kaplan said when describing how he finds stories for the news section. Editors then delegate articles to assistant editors and staff writers to be written.
Photo editor Ben Gajewski is responsible for getting photos for the various articles that are written in the paper to illustrate an event or draw readers to a particular article. "I spend roughly 10 hours a week getting photos from my staff as well as taking and editing photos," Gajewski said of his time spent on the paper.
Despite the long hours and large effort put into completing a cohesive, polished newspaper, mishaps occasionally make it to print. "It is frustrating to see mistakes in something you've worked hard on," said Kriss. "When you've looked at an article all night, sometimes you miss something that becomes very obvious the next day."
Most of the editors started out writing for the paper in various sections before becoming an editor. Tripodi served as the sports editor for two years before moving up the Lamron ladder, gaining experience with editing and layout programs that helps him with his responsibilities today. As a freshman, Kriss began his Lamron career as assistant sports copy editor and was soon promoted to copy editor, from which he became the news editor. Gajewski's interest in photography drew him to his current position. "I did a lot of photography for myself, but it's less meaningful to doing nothing with your photos," Gajewski said. "I needed an outlet on campus."
Despite the large commitment it takes to be a newspaper editor, the reward of seeing the paper around campus each week is worth the effort. Kriss and Tripodi have obtained internships and freelance work at Virginia's Richmond Times-Dispatch and the local Livingston County News, respectively, as a result of their interest in journalism and experience with the paper. Gajewski's experience as photo editor for the past two years has put him in contact with a number of people and events he, "wouldn't normally have seen otherwise."
Tripodi agreed. "It's fulfilling to see a product that you put out," he said. "Recently, we've taken a lot of steps to making the paper more aesthetically pleasing, and the response has been good." Though being an editor at the Lamron requires a good deal of commitment, the fulfillment that comes from the position seems invariably worth it.