Lasting Connections in Uncertain Circumstances
Illustration of the Corsair Spring 2021 Editorial Staff by Carolyn Burt | The Corsair
My time at the Corsair has been far from what I originally anticipated. I enrolled in Journalism 16; Producing the Campus Newspaper, simply to check off the final box I needed to get my associates degree in journalism before transferring to California State University, Northridge (CSUN) for the Fall 2020 semester.
From the moment I walked into the newsroom it became apparent to me that this was more than a class, it was the community I had been looking for at SMC. Returning staff members immediately pulled me into a conversation, making me already feel like a part of the team. I was introduced to my advisors, Ashanti Blaize-Hopkins and Gerard Burkhart, and began to get excited for the many opportunities I now saw in front of me. I listened as the Editor-in-Chief, Jackie Sedley, talked about her vision for The Corsair, and was impressed with her passion for journalism, thinking to myself there’s no way I could ever get to her level or possess the knowledge needed to hold the position myself.
By the time we got to our second production day I was kicking myself for not having signed up for The Corsair sooner. That next day, SMC announced classes were moving online for the remainder of the semester out of an abundance of caution for the safety of students and faculty as COVID-19 cases began to rise.
On March 31, we had our first zoom production day, where we each logged into our new virtual newsroom. We optimized the share screen function to read over articles and discuss the layout of the paper. It was exhausting, but each person on that call was determined to see the publication through. Our team's dedication proved that The Corsair could continue to thrive, despite the circumstances we were under.
The semester ended with a bittersweet virtual banquet, including a slideshow mixed with photos from the month we were on ground and screenshots of our Zoom calls. Once I signed off for the night, it dawned on me how the Corsair had been my saving grace during this difficult time. It was my main form of socialization, a chance to talk about something other than how draining the pandemic was, and importantly, something that got me out of bed each day.
With classes remaining remote for the foreseeable future, I realized my time at the Corsair didn’t have to end just yet. I reached out to Hughes, who had been appointed as the Editor-in-Chief, and asked him what editorial positions were still available. As he went over them, the one that stood out to me was Managing Editor as it would be an opportunity for me to understand more about the behind the scenes of what goes into a news publication.
Hughes offered me the position, and we got to work. The Fall 2020 semester marked the first time that the students making up the Corsair would work together without ever meeting face to face. As we got to know our new staff, it became apparent we had a very talented bunch to work with, and by our third edition we had set a new standard for the Corsair.
This became clear when our Design Editor, Sonia Hiew, and one of our staff writers, Michael Goldsmith, showed us the two page infographic they had created that broke down each of the California Propositions on the ballot that year. Our Social Media Editor, Johnny Neville, then adapted the piece to be its own social media post, which people shared with their friends and followers, and with it brought a new audience to our publication.
Knowing what our staff was capable of, we pushed ourselves further. When Joe Biden was announced the President-Elect on Nov. 7, we realized we couldn’t wait until the following week to put out our next issue like our production schedule entailed, so we decided to add a special edition to our plate.
It began to cross my mind that with only a month left of the semester, I wasn’t quite ready for my time with the Corsair to be over. Hughes had decided he would not be returning the following semester, so I decided to throw my hat into the ring to be Editor-in-Chief. The night before my interview, I worked for hours, fine-tuning what my vision for the paper would be and the changes I would implement to improve the Corsair in its next chapter. I wanted to push for more visuals for our content, and for us to mean it when we say we are an online first publication.
Now six months later after being appointed the position of Editor-in-Chief, I feel immensely proud of what we were able to see through this semester. The Corsair takes a village of talented writers, photographers, illustrators, and editors, as well as those invested in layout, graphic design, and social media to come together to make it all happen. I know in particular, I would not have gotten through this semester if not for my Managing Editor, Aja Marshall, who has continuously gone above and beyond to see this publication through.
As challenging as remote learning has been, if it hadn’t been the only option this past year, my time at the Corsair would have ended the same semester it started, and with it I would have never seen myself capable of taking on the role of Editor-in-Chief. I would have never met individuals I now consider close friends, or learn from our advisors what it means to run a newspaper.
The Corsair is something special. It’s a chance for students, from all walks of life, to experience journalism on a professional level. It’s an opportunity to make mistakes and learn from them. The Corsair is bigger than a news publication, it's a connection that stays with us even after our time on the staff comes to an end.
