Nicole Blanchard

Editor-in-Chief

Over the weekend, most of the staff of “The Bengal” got together for some ice breaking, an entertaining lecture from guest speaker Dr. Tom Terry and information on being the best journalists, photographers and advertisers we can be.

In planning our “Bengal Boot Camp,” as we called it, I realized something important about the newspaper that has sort of escaped my cognizance in a “can’t-see-the-forest-for-the-trees” kind of situation.

Each week our staff puts an immense amount of time, energy and effort into producing this newspaper, which I can’t thank them enough for. And each week I focus on that particular issue, memorizing the stories and photos, which article goes where and who is on what page.

Having such an intense focus on each issue means missing the big picture – the changes and improvements in design, content and more. I think it’s important to acknowledge how far the newspaper has come, not just in the first few weeks of this semester, but in the time I’ve been here and even before that.

Part of our boot camp was thinking about the legacy that this year’s staff would like to leave. We’ve had a huge turnover in our staff this year, which has been scary but also exciting in that it allows this new group the chance to really make “The Bengal” their own.

Looking at past issues is like going through some sort of weird archive of my life. I showed our staff the first issue of “The Bengal” that I ever saw. I was a high school student visiting ISU for a state journalism conference. At the time I had no idea of the significant role this newspaper would come to play in both my life and my journalistic career.

Then I brought out the first issue of “The Bengal” that I ever worked on. I remembered my first interview, and the paralyzing fear of working as the News Editor in my freshman year.

Finally we looked at the first issue that I oversaw as Editor-in-Chief. Though it was just a little over a year ago, there are stark contrasts between that issue and the ones we produce now.

Though looking over these newspapers was a fun trip down memory lane, it was also a fantastic way of illustrating to my coworkers what a difference a few years can make, especially when there is such a high turnover rate of students constantly coming in and out.

That leads me back to the point I was making to our staff, one which I feel can be echoed for each student on campus. What is the legacy that we want to leave on campus?

For those of us at the newspaper, it’s easy. Our journeys will be documented through “The Bengal” somehow, in whatever weird futuristic filing system they’ve managed to create.

But what about the rest of the students at ISU? Certainly student newspapers, student politicians, club leaders and many others have their chance to influence the campus, so how will the rest of you leave a mark at Idaho State?

I’d love to hear about your memorable moments at Idaho State. Feel free to tell us on our website, on Facebook, or via email at ude.usinull@feihcgb!

Nicole is a senior majoring in Mass Communication.