Senior editors leave with lifelong friends

Former executive editor Grace Bertrand

When I first came to Rider, I had absolutely no idea what I wanted to do or what I wanted to study, which was not new for me. What I did know, though, was that I wanted to do something that mattered. I started off as a communication studies major and I had floated the idea in my head of switching my major to journalism throughout my freshman year, but it was not until I accidentally ran into former journalism professor and my former adviser Jackie Incollingo — who I would not be here without — that I really felt like I had received a sign to take that leap. 

I immediately got involved at The Rider News during my sophomore year, getting my start in the opinion section writing little think pieces about anything I thought was worth telling, from the environment to artificial intelligence. 

From there, I started to fall in love with writing, but still was not sure I had found the right fit for myself. I asked the executive editor at the time if I could write for news and I was immediately thrown into one of the most dense things any student reporter can write about: financial aid. I remember doing the story with a lot of big numbers and complicated figures and finally finding that spark I had been looking for. Funnily enough, the first position I came into after that had nothing to do with news or opinion; I was hired as one of the features and entertainment editors going into my junior year, and needless to say, that catapulted me into where I needed to be. 

I fell in love with the creative process of gathering my reporting and piecing it together into a cohesive story through my writing, a joy I experienced with the many profile features I got to do. To this day, I still miss getting to be one-on-one with the people I interview in that way. 

After working as a section editor for a year, I wanted to pursue the challenge of being the executive editor and running the newsroom myself. Although I was not sure if I was up to the task, the main thing that pushed me was the home I knew I would be coming into at the newsroom. There is a different energy when you walk into the newsroom that is hard to find anywhere else: copy editors passing editing suggestions back and forth, section editors writing their deadline stories while laying out pages and conversations being screamed across the room while singing, dancing and even the occasional mock court case took place in the background. 

The run-down basement in Longstreet House has become more than just a newsroom for me. It is filled with painted bricks that act as the legacies of all the people that came before me and memories of shared moments between co-workers that have since become friends.

As executive editor, yes I have gotten the privilege to write about the biggest news on campus and expand my reporting on a level many student reporters are never able to reach while still at college. But, more importantly, I have been able to experience the beautiful chaos of late Tuesday production nights with my best friend and outrageously talented managing editor Caroline Haviland and learn what it means to be a leader to an executive board that I could have only ever dreamed of leading. 

So yes, I may not have started off knowing what I wanted to do when I first came to Rider, or even who I wanted to be, but I did know one thing: I wanted to leave a legacy that I would be proud of. And as I leave here now and exit the privilege of serving as executive editor at The Rider News, I truly feel like I have done that, and am also leaving with life-long friends, which is more than I could have ever asked for.

Former managing editor Caroline Haviland

Never will I ever forget the day I decided to become a journalist. I was sitting in my living room watching the news with my dad when a segment came on about detention facilities in China. I remember just feeling really mad and thinking, “why isn’t anyone talking about this?”

That was the day I knew journalism was what I wanted to do. I have always enjoyed writing since there is joy in telling stories and encapsulating emotion on a piece of paper. Words are power and I wanted to make sure I used mine right. 

When I applied to colleges, I was scared of making the wrong decision. Then came the day I visited Rider University for the first time on Admitted Students Day, and I was hooked. The campus was vibrant on a cool, spring afternoon, and it felt like I was home. I made my way into the Fine Arts Building and met the faculty and students within the department of Communication, Journalism and Media. I listened to the panel of students in the department and heard the managing editor of The Rider News, Shaun Chornobroff, talk about the experience he has received from the student-run newspaper.

I turned to my mom and dad and said, “I want to do that.” 

So, I started toward my goal and joined the newspaper my freshman year as a copy editor. From the beginning of my time in the basement of Longstreet House, I knew I found a place I would forever call home. I eventually began writing for news and found a love for that style of writing. — although, I’ll admit now, that I wish I would have written for the other sections more often.

By my junior year, I got chosen to be one of the news editors, which was a time of personal growth for me in my journalistic craft. This job rightfully trained me for my eventual appointment as managing editor in my senior year. 

As I reflect on the past year serving as managing editor, I am just filled with a heart of gratitude. First, I am so honored to have worked alongside my best friend, Grace Bertrand. I could not have asked for a better executive editor to lead this staff with, and will always hold our time serving together near to my heart. 

To our staff of amazing editors, thank you for putting up with our spontaneous songs and dance, for always being prepared and for being passionate about your work. I can wholeheartedly say that each and every one of you are going to go off to do great things in your careers. 

As I prepare to graduate and go into the world of professional journalism, I am faced with the reality of the threat against the freedom of the press in our nation. But this does not mean we must stand down and retreat our defenses. This means we stand up to those who oppose us and question authority. I will always thank our previous faculty adviser, Jackie Incollingo, for pressing this into the staff at this student-run newspaper. 

I will leave this colorful newsroom as a completely different person than who I was when I joined four years ago. I will forever miss the family I have made and the times we all spent together.