Surviving a semester on Cardinal Points editorial board

By Jameson Sempey

Every Friday, Cardinal Points, the students’ newspaper at Plattsburgh State University College, hits newsstands around the college’s campus and the city of Plattsburgh.

Not many realize though, that countless hours of work go into the production of the paper by the editorial board, or that the editor’s grades may suffer because of it.

“You’ve got to manage your time well,” said Bryan Bergeron, current associate sports editor of the paper.

Bergeron, who’s also written for FUSE, the features section of the paper, and contributed to the news section, said as an associate, you write two stories a week and spend a lot of time copy editing stories as well.

“It can be hard, it’s a lot of work,” said Bergeron, who’s only taking four classes in his first semester on the editorial board.

“It’s difficult to find the time,” Mike O’Keefe, associate news editor, said. “My grades went down a little (as an editor).”

Jessica Bakeman, editor in chief of the paper, said it’s not her grades that suffer while she’s been on the editorial board, but finding time to do things beyond academics or Cardinal Points.

“I literally don’t have five minutes to do laundry,” Bakeman said.

Bakeman said that despite how stressful Cardinal Points can become, her grades have not suffered. Going into the Fall 2009 semester, she had a 4.0 GPA and had been taking six three credit classes per semester.

This semester, her first semester as editor in chief, she said she’s struggled to maintain her perfect GPA, and is only taking four credit classes.

Dimas Sanfiorenzo, associate fuse editor, said he doesn’t think the paper has a negative effect on his academics.

“I’m failing Spanish, but I’m pretty sure I’d be failing if I wasn’t on the paper,” he said.

Bakeman, who’s held many different positions on the paper including fuse editor and managing editor before becoming editor in chief, said there are different types of stress for each position on the editorial board.

“When you’re a section editor, the entire section is on your shoulders,” Bakeman said. “Then at the managing editor position, and as editor in chief, the weight of the entire paper is on your shoulders.”

Bakeman said that to survive a semester on the editorial board, you’ve got to be dedicated.

“In general, if Cardinal Points isn’t your first priority, you won’t succeed,” she said.