When you walk into The Fordham Ram’s newsroom in room B-52, you’re struck by many things. There are inside jokes plastered all over the walls, buckets of candy, stacks of newspapers, etc. But what you would be struck by most of all is the number of chairs. There are so many chairs that it is impossible to walk through the room without bumping into at least a few. As I reflect on my three years working on The Fordham Ram, I’m struck by exactly how many of these chairs I’ve sat in.
I started my time on the Ram, sitting in an uncomfortable wooden chair right by the door. I spent my Tuesday nights as an assistant news editor working on page two of the newspaper and every so often scooting over to help Abbey Delk, Volume 103’s news editor, with the front page. I learned so much in that corner of the room from Abbey. To this day, I don’t think Abbey quite knows how much she taught me in B-52 (and the WFUV Newsroom) about journalism and life; thank you.
My next year on the Ram, I moved slightly down the news desk to an office chair. The back of the chair was incredibly upright and the wheels were broken. As news editor of Volume 104, I designed the front page of the newspaper. I wrote multiple articles each week on unions, protests, elections, campus events, campus life, etc. In that role, I wrote most of the 100-plus articles I’ve written for The Fordham Ram during my time as a staff member.
The next chair I moved to was big, full of padding, equipped with functioning wheels and came with its own desk — the editor in chief’s chair. When I sat in my wooden chair in Volume 103, I had no idea I would be sitting behind the editor in chief’s desk one day. Even from my chair with the broken wheels, being editor in chief was something that felt like an intimidating jump.
Newspapers are living and breathing organisms. News changes, meaning newspapers themselves have to constantly adapt. There is no guide to being the Ram’s editor in chief because the problems each person faces in the role are different depending on what is happening in the world and on campus. That is what intimidated me about becoming editor in chief, but now a year later, I’ve learned to love it. During my entire time on the Ram, no two production nights were the same. No two editions were the same, no two problems were the same and no two successes were the same. It is part of what makes journalism and the Ram so exciting. And despite the difficulties a constantly changing world provides, I am so proud of what the Ram has done this year.
I am so proud of the way Volume 105 has handled challenges thrown at them and embraced the many successes we had. Being editor in chief of this paper has taught me how to be a leader and navigate difficult decisions, conflicts and situations. I will not lie and say it has been easy to run this newspaper. However, I would not trade the experience for anything.
The Fordham Ram is a very special place. It is an important part of the campus community where work can be shared, and students can learn about things going on all around them. It’s a place where young writers can practice their craft. It’s a place where editors come every week to share laughs, work on the newspaper and make friends. For me, it was a place that taught me. The Ram has taught me so many difficult, but valuable, lessons about leadership, writing and journalism. It’s where I met so many amazing people who have shaped my college experience and I know are lifelong friends.
Matt, Jamison and Frances, thank you so much for all your tireless work this year. I could not have asked for a better team of E-Board members.
Michael, thank you for doing so much more than your job description this year.
Finally, thank you Seb. In every single chair I’ve sat in at B-52, you’ve always been in the one next to me. I could not imagine rising through this paper next to anyone else.
The biggest thank you belongs to the entire staff of Volume 105. This “From the Desk” was about me, but this paper is a group effort. This paper would be nothing without your countless articles, edits, emails and your devotion to producing the best possible newspaper each week.
It’s hard to say what chair I will sit in next. But I know it won’t be in B-52. However, it is clear that wherever I go, I’ll carry lessons, skills and memories I’ve gathered in this very special newsroom.
