THE CASCADE... AN INSIDER'S EXPOSE

MY FIRST 3 WEEKS ...

by Beth Kelleher

HI! Wclco111cto the third ecli1io11or the 200 I/2002 UCFV Cascade! ( hore you are c11joying (or al least deriving some neeti11g umuscmcnl from) reading this issue as much as we enjoyed putting ir together! As the ITT()Sl recent addition 10 the Cascade SLHff(!hough I'm not 'the newest' by much, as this year's Cascade staff were all new to the office in September), I leaped on-board with coumless questions about everything from the nut'n'bolts production of the paper to 'what exactly does the Cascadestaff do?'

So after almost a month (it will be a month by the lime this is published) of crash• course, on-the-job-training, I thought I'd be in an interesting position to share the answers to some of my own questions to give you an "inside scoop" on what goes on behind-the-scenesof your student newspaper.

Three weeks ago, I joined the haphazard srnlf of the 200 I /2002 UCFV CASCADE. I was full of ideas. passionate to share them and ready to become part of the voice of the UCFV student body.

Two and a half weeks ago I began ITlaking daily lrcks to the SUS office for a Cascade contract. This was, of course. a little more difficult than J'd first anticipated. However my contract would be ready to sign 'tomorrow,· which seemedacceptable to me at the time that was before 1 knew what I know now - that 'tomorrow' is still coming.

Ncvcnhcless, J deemed such obstaclt:s worth the privilege of the position.

Two weeks ago I ricked up 11 copy of the first edition of the Cascade and was completely shocked and hon-ified at what I saw! Nol that I would have heen pleased to be parl of a SUS pet-project or newsletter, but l tind myself involved in quite the opposite! While the Cascude has always held a reputation for being somewhat of a journalistic und political tlail for a1ten1ion,is seems that lately it's self-described label of "media whore" is disgustingly accurate. I'm 1101 sure which self-respecting woman would want a photograph of their breast to grace the cover of a campus-wide publication, but Ihm is beside the point that it was published at all! However, still I forged ahead in my journalistic endet1vor,though somewhat disillusioned from what J had hoped is would be. Besides, around this time. 1 also began doing CD reviews, which proved to be an enjoyable and considerably more relaxed publishable 'break' in the seriousnessof my other goals

Ten days ago, l began to secure advertisers for the Oct 24th issue. I found that due to the nature of the first cover-page. many respectable businesses were somewhat reluctant 10 sign ad-contracts, however by sheer will and determination, l pursued and managed to obtain one-year commitments from several local businesses. However, I also took my concerns to the editor and we had u quality discussion resulting in what I thought was an undersrnnding NOT to put any more breasts on the cover (of course l naively assurncd thnt 1his i11volvell the exclusion of grossly mal-formed fruits and vcgct.ibles as well us the barring of nudity from the rest of the paper ns wel I.) Following this discussion, I was omewhat encouraged and eager to resume my efforts, however

A week ago. 1 sat down lu leaf through the Oct 24th edition of lhe CASCADE just before it was about to be sent off to the printers, and was initially mildly impressed by the absenceof sexual shock-value on the cover (not that a burning pumpkin held by James' brother doesn't have shock-value, just not the same immoral variety us a bare breast or mal-fom1ed yam!). However my approval was short lived, as I flipped open the first page to see a scanned copy of the breast-cover, a bold advertisement for "SEX SEX SEX!,'' and an introduction deeming the CASCADE to be a "Media Whore" as well as "a wacky blend of pornography and journalism" all on the first page! (While that last statement seems to be sadly true. it is certainly not one that all of us on the Cascade staff want to promote or enhance!)

Last week, I attempted to use one of the office computers, only to watch it eat my disk, and unexplainably froze. When l inquired as to the cause of this. [ was told that the office computers have not been mai111ainedor de•fraged in 8 yeal'S (for those of you who, like me, have no iden what "de-frogging" is, I now under~tand it to be something that should he done every 3-6 months to keep one's comput• er ru1111ingefficiently), thus there was absolutely no memory left on the corn• puter l was tryi11g 10 use. Thankfully, the disk did not co1110i11anythi11g vitally imporwnt. nnd the computer repairman checked the orher computers and diagnosed potenti::il problems as well as prescribing $Olutions before more major problems occur.

/\ few dnys ago, T sat down on one of our offices delightfully dilapidated ancient couches (which we use due w the not-somysterious disappearance orsome of our more modern furniture LO SUS). in the hope of concocting a journalistic I11asler• piece. but after less-Ihan-S-minulcs, 1 had to stop .ind take inventory of exactly what I was writing for, .ind smile 10 myself. "A journalistic masterpiece?!''

If I, indeed, even had n clue how LObegin such a work (which I Jon 't), it certainly couldn't be done here! Not only was I mtcmpting to concen1rate un an individual task during n 'post-production meet• ing,' but that 'meeting' involved most of the s111ff,1110!-.t of the volunteers. as wcll ns n gout! representative of l'ricnds anu ncquait1lunccs who barely rend the paper at all, let alone have anything to Jo with writing it! Amu11g the topics to be covcrctl included office football, computer games and Mr. Potnto head! (H's a won• clt:r we don 'I have more volunteers then again, given what our paper is, maybe that's not so surprising.)

Today I allcmptcd to nccess some fi lcs in our disorganized mess of a filing cnbinet.

Nol surprisingly. the drnwer wns jammed and the i11formation I wonted is either non existent or ~o tlecply lost in the lnck (lr system, IhI11I'd lrnve helter luck. recreating the source myself, than a11cmpting 10 re-organize what's there. And su. because I wa~ in an ambitious frnmc or mind today, I started 10 organi7e a brandnew filing sy~tem for the Cascade todny

And !\O three weeks. two tlnys antl hour nnd a hal r after I fir I e111ert:dthe cozy corner of the institution we call C:ist:ade. I am thoroughly Jisenchanted of Lhc case or my i<.lealistit:1vi~iom, for Ille ucrv student press, however I hove lcarnctl invaluable les~ons (such as 'What is Mata?') and remain <1S p::issiona1dy determined and corn111ittcdus c\ er to lhe prnductinn nnJ c:ontinual improvement or our paper. I love my Joh; I really Ull! I lint.I out something m:w every day (Fur instance, yesterday I lt;arned whal an "agate line" I~). 1'111mt:cting new people

( How is 11that n new~papcr seems In nnt11rally nltntt·t the most hi,rarrc p~ople?) /\nd the ascudc is giving me the venue to pnss on these oppnrtunlties lo you. So while l had no idctt whnt I was getting myself into, I've "h.:apl" tlrH.l now I'm "looking.'' and I sec infinite potential, if nul to prnd11ce u "journalistic nIastcrpiccc,'' then at least to learn and grow us pt:ople as we mive 10 be ·a better voice' for you!

If you have any t·ommeI11s,compluints. questions or i.uggeslions, plcu~c free to urop hy our office (/\226) aml we' II likely ,1sk you lLl write them down (and bec:nusewe usually l<1ckprintable copy, they Will likely gcI published I )

Edirors 11(1/e; T/le Ct1.1·code ha.1·111on 1 Pn/nto 1/eods //w11.m,y 11ewspaper i11 Wesrem Cm111rla,Go Casr·r1de.'