Busy busy busy

As relaxing as my two-week vacation back in Portland was, I’m paying for it now! Holy hell the new semester has kicked me in the butt – and that’s just concerning the newspaper. Besides taking control of all the financial aspects of our Bookswap Funraiser (we let people sell their books to other students, and we only keep 15%. People make way more money than if selling back to the school), my final re-design tweaking on The Sentinel is as all-encompassing as I thought it would be.

The Sentinel is turning into a 40-hour work week.

It’s all worth it, however. We set a new record for most money made in a single Bookswap. Furthermore, after my redesign is complete, there is no doubt in my mind we will create a new benchmark for what a college newspaper in the Northwest should look like. Long story short: This semester will be the greatest Sentinel ever.

What’s more, I finally have built myself up in my own little head that I feel confident enough to apply for certain journalism awards with a swagger. It’s fun winning regional awards, and even a national nod is worth bragging about, but there are much bigger accomplishments out there.

Thus, I have but two goals before I leave North Idaho College:

• Firstly: Being named one of the UWire Top 100 college journalists in the country. It’s a tall order. The competition will be stiff. I’m confident in my nomination, and respect that fact that there are so many collegiate journalists out there who deserve this recognition, as well. Hell, I think Eli Francovich has a better shot than I do (read his blog here. The man is amazing).
• Secondly: This one is a hugely grandiose goal, like a kid who hopes to make the varsity basketball team – when he’s in 7th grade. The Poynter Institute is the grandaddy of all journalism, and so when they offer 40 two-week fellowships this May in Florida, the best of the best of collegiate journalists will be applying. I’ll be sending in the final portions of my application this weekend, so we’ll see what happens. (Cross your fingers, please!!)

At least I will have solace in the Idaho Press Club awards. From the sheer amount of submissions I had, there’s no doubt in my mind I won’t take home some hardware.

I am extremely lucky to be surrounded by incredibly talented writers and photographers on The Sentinel, they make designing the nation’s best paper so easy it’s not even fair for other schools. There is no way I could be so good at what I do if they weren’t all good at what they do.

And once more, be sure to check out Eli’s travel blog: it’s sure to make you jerk a tear or two.