This issue of the Technique is our last of the semester, and therefore the last that will carry my name as Editor-in-Chief. It’s been an amazing experience and before I finally relinquish my position I need to pass along some words of gratitude.
What drives a bunch of Tech students to get together and make a newspaper, anyway? Tech has no journalism program, of course, and few of us have any aspirations of pursuing a career in journalism (which are becoming quite scarce these days in any event). Sure, working here might look nice on a resume, but so would a hundred other activities on campus that don’t involve weekly deadlines.
Yet we do this because we all share the same passion. We want to be part of an effort to keep our campus well-informed (and well-entertained). We want to hold those in power accountable and we want to uncover the truth. We know that all communities depend on journalistic entities for these services, and the Tech community therefore depends on the Technique.
We want to be, as our first issue in 1911 stated, “the voice of the student body and the servant of its interests… the champion of all causes that will contribute to the development of the institution in numbers, influence and character.â€
To you the reader, I thank you for giving us the chance to do all of these things every week. We have strived to produce a publication that successfully meets these needs you have as a Tech student, and it is your satisfaction that is our benchmark for success. I also appreciate those of you who let us know when we did not meet that benchmark for success. While it’s not possible to please everyone, we welcome all the criticism we can get as it’s the only way to know how to improve.
Moving on, I want to thank those around campus who helped to equip us to be able to inform the student body. The administrators, staff, faculty, student leaders and others who have kept us in the loop about happenings in their circle of Tech are critical to our mission. I am grateful for every instance when someone thought, “Students need to know about this,†and came to us.
Among the many individuals who have helped us in this regard, I particularly want to thank Nick Wellkamp, undergraduate student body president, who has been absolutely tireless in working to further the interests of the students he represents. This publication could not have been anywhere near as informative and useful without Nick’s thoughtfulness, cooperation and patience (especially the midnight phone calls clarifying details) as he keeps us, and by extension the student body, up to date on issues ranging from SGA initiatives to Board of Regents activity. Nick has been a great asset to the Institute and a pleasure to work with this year.
Finally, I come to those individuals to whom I cannot possibly express my gratitude strongly enough. This newspaper is the product of the efforts of dozens of people who, around their excruciating class schedules and other campus involvements, put in hours upon hours each week. It could not happen without the writers who do the reporting, interviewing, and writing. It could not happen without the editors and assistant editors whose planning, editing, and designing results in the final product you are holding in your hands (or reading on your monitor). It could not happen without the photographers whose shots capture the events and experiences of our time at Tech for posterity. Nor could it happen without the copy editors, distributors, and advertising staff, nor the three full-time staff in Student Publications whose work behind the scenes give us students the freedom to concentrate on producing content to best serve our readers. It’s been an honor to be able to collaborate with this incredible group of people.
This may be the end of my road but the Technique will never stop working to serve you. After this semester my position will be taken over by Emily Chambers, whose passion for getting answers to Tech students’ concerns is unmatched, as is her work ethic. Keep reading the Technique and Emily, along with the rest of us who work on it with her, will continue to make it worth your while.