Gazette front office shares life lessons from 103

For the past few years, it has been tradition for the outgoing Gazette Front Office to say a few words on how much their time at the paper meant to them and other sappy crap like that. The brain trust of Volume 103 has decided to take a different approach. What you’ll find below are the most significant lessons the three of us have learned through our respective roles with Canada’s best daily student newspaper. While some of these points are indeed specific to the Gazette, hopefully you’ll be able to take one or two things from our experiences.

Thanks for a great year.

Ryan, Carly and Jaela – Front Office, Volume 103

You can’t have too much of a good thing … especially when it’s caffeine.

Apathy is the 21st century’s version of natural selection.

Extra-curriculars teach more than “curriculars” ever will.

Small talk and networking are overrated. Time is too precious to waste on building “connections” rather than friendships.

Journalists are hated for writing the truth. Politicians are loved for speaking lies.

Change is best accomplished from the inside.

There is no such thing as an “unsafe discussion.”

The best student experience is created by the person, not the institution.

Branding is a way of selling yourself, even when you have nothing to offer.

Off the record should be respected … most of the time.

The majority of readers do not know what an editorial is. This makes us question whether the majority of readers have ever opened a newspaper that isn’t the Gazette.

Hungover editing does not work. See the March 19 issue of the Gazette.

Just because you’re the boss doesn’t mean you should always take charge. Don’t be afraid to recognize when someone is better at something than you are.

Don’t let people forget who the boss is.

Don’t get caught up in anything. This isn’t real life, yet.

Club executives think their events are newsworthy. They aren’t (99 per cent of the time).

Whether running on time or on strike, students always have a beef with the London Transit Commission. Walk.

USC presidential elections are a popularity contest. Sorry Tithecott.

Rick McGhie isn’t the same at the Spoke. Wave 4 lyfe.

Admit when you’re wrong and don’t apologize when you’re not.

You will never please everyone. So don’t bother trying.

Take criticism seriously, but not personally.

Uninformed people are far more likely to criticize than the informed.

Consider the source … in everything.

Be nice to people, please and thank-you go a long way.

Titles mean nothing.

Don’t be afraid to make mistakes, even if 30,000 people notice when you do.

Ignorance is bliss.

Heart beats talent any day of the week.

You are probably capable of things you can’t imagine yourself doing.

Anonymous is synonymous with gutless.

Gazette editors and staff members are some of the best people on campus. They put in over 40 hours of work at a student paper for no (or next to no) money, pull of decent grades and still always find time to grab a beer with you. (Thanks)

It’s OK to take a mulligan once in a while…