“Hey, Leah, what are you doing in the spring?” A simple enough question, asked by my English teacher in early February of my sophomore year, ended up changing everything I’d grown to expect from my Tabor career. And honestly, I wasn’t sure what I was going to do come spring - I simply wasn’t feeling the desire to return to softball as my extracurricular. Mrs. Sughrue was looking to recruit me to the staff of Tabor’s student newspaper, and I am so glad that she did.
I had never planned on writing for the newspaper - in fact, I had never heard of The Log until well into my freshman year. I hadn’t even considered writing for it until Mrs. Sughrue approached me about it, but doing so has drastically changed my Tabor experience. I spent sophomore spring writing my own pieces, editing other staff members’ articles and filling in layouts for each issue, happily tucked away in the Log Office. The Log, based out of a little office in the library, quickly became one of my favorite things about Tabor.
This fall, I applied to become an editor, specifically working in the office during the spring season. So far this year, I’ve contributed articles for each monthly issue, and during the spring trimester, I am happy to report I will be back in the Log Office serving as an editor! I am excited to get back to writing, editing, and laying out each issue. While working as a contributor, covering news and investigating Tabor’s eccentricities is a wonderful part of The Log, there is something about being in the office that has been fulfilling in completely new ways for me. Having a greater voice in which articles get pitched to our writing staff, running coordination between the office and the writers, and getting to see the final product before anyone else adds a level of interest and enjoyment to my involvement. And of course, watching the green come back to campus from the library window is a treat! Covering news on campus and off, as well as being able to put the spotlight on truly wonderful Tabor students and teachers, is so rewarding. There’s nothing quite like seeing your name on the byline of an article in a printed newspaper, nothing quite like that sense of pride and accomplishment.
If Mrs. Sughrue hadn’t decided to bring me onto The Log, I probably would’ve returned to softball for my sophomore spring, and while I would’ve had fun, I am so happy I ended up at The Log. The familiarity of the monthly routine provides a rock of consistency in Tabor’s hectic yet wonderful atmosphere, and getting to experience journalism in a way unattainable in the classrooms is a wonderful opportunity as I consider what I want to do with my future.
I suppose the moral of the story is that it’s okay to say you don’t know when someone asks you what you’re doing next season - they might just have an amazing opportunity waiting for you.
