Chris Banyas
Editor-in-Chief
And now my time has come.
No more words from dead authors. No more song lyrics. No more referring to pieces of music. No more, no more, no more.
I have but to acknowledge those who helped me in my time here, who made a significant impact upon my person, and then I shall be no more.
To see the young people who comprise the ranks of The Bengal, and specifically their level of passion and drive never ceased to amaze me. It truly is passion on the staff’s part that achieves the final printed product each week, and certainly not any financial carrot on a stick.
I have made mistakes in my time as editor, and I have done things, at least in my opinion, right, whether that be objectively right, or simply what I perceived to be the right thing at the right time, but I cannot stress enough that the paper does not happen without the staff. I have simply been a kind of ineffectual sheep dog, trying to herd talent, to focus it, working all the while along individuals far more talented than myself, hoping that they wouldn’t all collectively realize my lack of qualification.
Some philosophies on the employee/employer relationship would have you believe that in order for a functional workforce to exist, there can be no friendship between the head and body of the entity. I did not find this to be the case. It goes without saying that I feel that I not only worked with a staff over the years, but a group of friends.
I’d like to first recognize what I consider to be the equivalent of the shock troops of journalism, the staff writers, who spend their time in the trenches and are underpaid and overqualified for their positions, yet they keep coming back.
Jaclyn, Madeline and Olivia: Watching the three of you routinely crank out wonderful pieces and grow along the course of the semester has been wonderful. You are all exceedingly talented and I can’t wait to see what you do in the future.
What is a paper without pictures?
Braedon and Jessica: your mastery of the visual medium never stopped blowing my mind. Thank you for your hard work and patience working with me.
What are sections of a newspaper without editors?
Scott and Lucas: The two of you rose to the editor positions and never once complained about the work involved, never once looked back, and never once disappointed me. Quite the opposite is true: nearly every time a possible story was discussed, you would return several days later with a finished product far greater than I imagined it.
Sacha: I only had the privilege of working with you for a short time, but in that time it became very apparent that you are a unique and special individual. You fit right in here, brightened everyone’s day whenever you were around, and took a position that really only needed to be black and white and brought something special to it.
Miranda: Over the several years I worked side-by-side with you, I saw your dedication to the paper and more importantly your kindness and passion radiate out and influence those around you. Thank you for your patience in working with me, and for all your extra hours of effort and worry.
Gavin: Thank you for humoring me on a bi-weekly basis and cold calling all of the business we came up with…it took us a while to figure the ad game out, but in the end we came back strong. This is a testament to you and your tenacity. Thank you.
Brandon: Thanks for your graphic expertise and hard work. Our conversations helped me, on numerous occasions, think through the things I needed to parse.
Jerry: Your job is a difficult and unenviable one, and you perform it very well. Thank you for all the hours of counsel, all the hours of listening to me talk through what was storming inside my mind, and for all the hours of dedication you gave to the staff. I hope you end up writing a book or books in the near future.
Cole: I could not have schlepped the papers on a weekly basis without you. Thanks!
Emily: I think that you are the person I worked alongside with for the greatest amount of time at The Bengal. I remember one of our first assignments together, about three years ago now: to investigate the steam tunnels underneath ISU. I chivalrously allowed you to go first. I know that over the course of this year you haven’t always agreed with what I have written or the courses of action I have decided to pursue. I know that sometimes this was a difficult thing for you to do, yet you could not have done a better job. That is a testament to your professionalism, work ethic and integrity. Thank you for always sticking by me. I literally could not have done this job without you.
Shelbie: I couldn’t be happier that you were chosen to be the next editor. I have personally seen you grow in myriad ways and realize so much potential that was evident to me from the first days of working with you. Your opportunities are limitless, your boundaries non-existent. Like so many people in the world today, the only thing that exists which may hinder you is your own self, your own worst enemy within the depths of your mind.
I would like to thank Dr. Schmidt for Proust, Pascal and Montaigne, Dr. Heern for perspective, Dr. Klein for colons and semicolons, and doctors DiSanza and Gershberg for their invaluable support and expertise.
I will leave you with this: I am not special, not unique and not talented or qualified in any overt way.
What was accomplished by The Bengal this year, if anything, is a testament to the collaborative efforts of the group of young people who came together and soared, in spite of my limitations. They have made me look good all year long and deserve far more credit for their efforts than they have received.
