It was a Sunday, a rather gloomy and chilly Sunday, and we were in the Hilltop News office catching pneumonia.
For those of you who don’t know, and I would guess most of you don’t, our “office” is located under the coffee shop. You probably pass by us every day without noticing. Looking in from the outside, you would guess the dark, dank room is just another storage facility.
On closer look, however, you might see me, Kate, or one of the other staff members squinting into one of the two prehistoric computer monitors, working away so that you can have your news.
If you went inside our little closet, you would immediately notice the lovely smell emanating from the large gas furnace that occupies a corner of the room. Another sniff would reveal the age of the building and the musk that has accompanied it through the decades. Yum.
After about five minutes of inoculation, the smell fades away. But wait, you now notice the climate of the room. Why, its at least ten degrees colder than the rest of the building and at about 87.5 percent humidity, there is a slight chance it might start to snow.
It might be better if you could sit down, but I’m sorry all of the seats are taken. With six editors, four chairs, and only two computers, there is little room to move, let alone enough space to work. It’s no wonder that you say your goodbyes and leave.
We get lonely for your company in our office; we would welcome your presence, if we had a space like, say, ASB. Those little devils even have couches!
I see how it is. They have all the amenities because you voted for them. You appointed them to run your activities, to organize your special events, and to mediate between you and the administration.
Far be it from me to trash those responsible for bring back the “Jump on it” song. I am a huge fan of the thrusting dance moves, especially paired with 80s attire.
Maybe, just maybe though, being the voice of the students is just as important. We want people to come visit us, to air their complaints and to start conversations with us that could turn into articles.
Can we accomplish such things without a proper office? I am not sure we can, but at least the three pairs of socks and blanket wrapped around me are keeping me warm.
Megan Wozniak is the Managing Editor of Hilltop News and is a self-proclaimed cynic masquerading as a realist.