Paddling to New Zealand
Geof Castle
05.31.02
John Lennon once sang, "Life is what happens to you while you're busy
making other plans," and he might not have known it, but working at a
newspaper is very much the same way.
You go into a week with an idea of what's pertinent, what's important,
what's worth covering, and then you see Michele McCormack live outside
Kelly Hall 24-hours before you have to complete a newspaper. Or the
University finalizes a merger, or there's an arrest on campus. That
sort of breaking stuff throws a wrench in the weekly works, but that
element of timeliness is why they call it news.
As the editor-in-chief, I'm proud of the way The Triangle has covered
the aforementioned events as well as countless others. We've written
things that, though they may not be especially exciting, should be
known by anyone interested in the University, like the censure of
President Papadakis and the University's present struggles with shared
governance. We've fleshed out rumor by covering the recent New Tower
arrest and we filled out the inadequate coverage of television news
when Kelly Hall had its mid-April crisis.
We've done all this as a student organization like any other. We've
done all this with volunteers who have classes and tests just like any
other student. We've done all this despite news being a tall order for
any writer. How would you like an extra paper each week that required
your research include coordinating with and interviewing several
different contacts?
But as proud as I am of the work we've done as an organization, it's
necessary to applaud the efforts of six seniors who are graduating
after distinguished Triangle careers. Without their help the issues of
the last ten weeks and the last several months, or in some cases the
last several years, wouldn't have been as good as they are. What better
medium to laud their efforts than the publication they've done so much
for?
Margaret Caracappa joined The Triangle relatively recently and rapidly
rose through our ranks to become chief copy editor. Not only is she a
meticulous and gracious editor, she provides balance to an organization
where the inmates frequently run the asylum. Every week it's her job to
read everything we print, and as anyone who's ever read The Triangle
can tell you, that's no easy task.
Dia Siraki works harder than anyone I know. Even if I didn't have so
many lazy friends, that would still be an accomplishment. When she
served as EIC during the fall term, she did so while taking 20 credits
and working 20 hours a week. She's a thoughtful editor, an excellent
writer, and commands enough respect to be a pragmatic disciplinarian.
Her Aug. 17, 2001 commentary about the relationship of The Triangle
with Provost Richard Astro is one of the most even-handed and pertinent
pieces ever to grace our ed-op pages.
Though Jonathan Kroll will be with us for the summer, it's still worth
noting that he has sacrificed more for The Triangle than almost anyone.
Frequently, members say they can't help during a particular week
because they've got a big paper, a tough project, or an important test.
We understand, but as they say, the show must go on. Jonathan Kroll
realizes as much and has gone out of his way to make sure the most
important stories are done in time for readers to read them. His
efforts to cover Papadakis' censure and the merger required that he
dedicate large parts of his day to sitting in a meeting when he should
have been sitting in class. We're grateful to have his services for at
least one more term, even if it's only for five issues.
I don't know what I'll miss most about Bob Rudderow. His gregarious
personality, his outstanding layout expertise, or his letting me park
in his driveway. Bob has served as editor-in-chief on more than one
occasion, and was in that position when I started at The Triangle. He
must have been doing something right because I stuck around, along with
several others, and he has always been a patient and knowledgeable
guide for every, and I mean every, aspect of creating a newspaper.
Al Stuart's late effort was outstanding. At a time when most senior
members look to cut back their involvement, Al stepped up in a big way
by serving as editor-in-chief during the winter term. Most seniors want
to focus on their senior design projects or on relaxing during their
last term in school. Not Al. Despite being in materials engineering,
quite possibly the University's most difficult program, and despite
going against his own common sense and the common sense of those who
know him best, he continued working at the paper and took on even
greater responsibility.
Lastly, and I hate to be this melodramatic and gushy, but Nathan Kuruna
is the kind of intelligent, ambitious person I was hoping to meet when
I started going to Drexel. His drive and innovative efforts in a
variety of disciplines are models for anyone who thinks they're
creative. I've had a lot of fun working with him on "Diff'rent Spoons"
and "Safety Illustration Theatre", and I only hope I can keep up with
him when collaborating on future projects.
With all the departures, there's no doubt The Triangle will change, but
not worsen. Throughout our history, new members have always answered
the call and plugged the emerging holes. We're very lucky to have as
many wonderful people as we do and this column wouldn't fit in the
paper if I mentioned every staffers' efforts individually.
That said, there are some staffers that have gone above and beyond
their job descriptions. Staffers like Chris Duffy are what keep this
paper going and are the kind of people that will fill the void created
by the departing seniors. Though his title is "Triangle Staff Writer"
he does much more. In addition to covering some very difficult news
stories, he's been responsible for laying out many of the news sections
you¹ve seen in the past weeks, an eight-hour job that usually
starts at five on Thursday nights. Just waiting for the paper to be
complete on Friday morning is a sign of dedication and something of a
feat for those with Friday classes. Chris has done that and more.
Efforts like his are what has sustained the paper for 76 years and will
continue to drive the paper in years to come.
The Triangle will miss every departing senior, but with an infusion of
new blood will come new ideas and invigoration. Despite the losses, we
will continue to do our best to provide readers with what they need to
know.
As always, we're eager to welcome new members. The fact is we can never
get enough. We've done an outstanding job, but there are still stories
I kick myself for missing, like when Q102's 12-noon workout came to the
Quad or when Drexel held its annual fashion show. There is no finite
amount of news. And even when we think we have all of our bases
covered, all the meetings and all the lectures attended, something
never fails to pop up.
But that's life.