By Jena Seidemann
Managing Editor
Journalism takes you places, specifically 20 feet up an oak tree at the local nature park just when night is about to fall.
I, no matter how insane it seems, was on the hunt for a coyote. As part of my internship, I had written a story on how they were becoming a frequent sighting and problem for the community (not one of my best stories but nevertheless) and I needed a photo. I had already gotten up at 4 a.m. to find them, so my last ditch effort was to grab some expired meat, (yes, I did do this) spread it around the ground, and climb up the nearest tree to snap the perfect shot. Seamless right?
Any who, I spent an hour up there waiting and waiting: all for the love and dedication of journalism.
The love of journalism had culminated after I was put into the first period intro to media class with good old Mr. Wofford. Originally, my elective was health-science, but after a few mishaps, the only option was journalism. It was meant to be.
Come sophomore year and Wofford had convinced me to be a staff writer for the newspaper. Going here and there and covering any and everything under the sun, many a times, people could see me at local sporting events with the laptop and charger in full use. Cranking out copy as Mr. Wofford would say, I began to love the job.
Throughout my two full years as part of The Sidekick, I have had so many opportunities thrown at me. I have gone to see state championships, report from the Cowboys Stadium and traveled to amazing cities such as Boston and San Diego. Meeting new people with unique stories has been one of the most gratifying things as a journalist, and I hope that all of the incoming writers and staffers have the same opportunity as I did.
Coming in 2014-15, I am so excited for the opportunities that arise and I hope you will see some new and wonderful things from our staff, but some things will never change such as I wear my heart on my sleeve. I am the first person with an opinion and the last one to give up on something I love and truly see promise in. So I hope to bring a lot of passion and excellence to the staff.
This year I have a lot of goals, the most important being: how can I make The Sidekick and Coppell Student Media the best it can be? Awards are nice, and I would be crazy to say that earning an NSPA Pacemaker is not in my sights, but it is all about the basics. If we do the basics well, everything else will fall into place.
I am also striving for a family environment where each member is excited to step into D115 and loves the work they do. One of the greatest rewards this year was looking at a staff writer’s Twitter bio and the words Sidekick Staff Writer is proudly typed for all to see. I want that pride to ooze out of everyone. I want D115 to be home to the future staff members as it is for me.
No matter what happens in the coming year, I hope to do it with as much passion as possible. Will it be tough? Definitely. Does staff beckon dedication or insanity? Journalism requires a little bit of both. But I love it.
