The Blazer bids farewell to editors, Maska and Forgue
As the Blazer moves forward into the spring semester, it is with heavy hearts that it bids adieu to the two people who kept the Blazer rolling the past three semesters. So before we hang the “Under New Management” sign in the window, let’s give one last word to co-editors Richard Maska and Alex Forgue.
Q: How prepared do you think you were to handle the position of ‘Editor-in-Chief’ when you got it?
Richard: Looking back, I really was not prepared to handle the editor position when I first got it. I had only written for the paper for one semester before becoming editor and had no experience in newspaper formatting. What helped was that I threw myself into the work and dedicated a lot of extra time to it. I also had a lot of help from Bob, Brittney, Alex and Joel, especially during those early days.
Alex: I didn’t know what to expect when I took the job. I was a staff writer who knew nothing about how the newspaper operated at the time. It was something I was excited about, and I’m glad that Rich was there with me to make sure that everything ran smoothly. Rich and I didn’t know each other very well when we first started which made things start off slow, but we got to know each other and got along. Rich has done amazing things for the newspaper, he has put in more work than anyone else.
Q: As non-journalism majors, you both were in a bizarre situation taking over the school’s independent newspaper. Did that notion ever get to you or affect you in any way?
R: I kind of enjoyed that fact, because everyone who knew I was the papers’ editor also assumed I was a journalism major. But it really wasn’t that big of a deal, we still had a job to do and a criteria to fill regardless of our majors. Additionally, I think working for the paper helped my studies out in relation to my major. Writing history is very similar to journalistic writing.
A: I think that it gave us a steep-learning curve when it came to editing things in AP style. But, it also allowed us to bring a new perspective to the paper which I think that the paper needed.
Q: Alex, you’ve always been a very outspoken guy. You’re an activist, and you love to make your voice heard. Do you feel the Blazer gave you a suitable platform to elevate the discussion on important topics?
A: I think that it has. I love to give my opinion and educate people on various topics. One thing that Rich and I agreed on was that we wanted to have a paper where staff writers could freely express their opinion regardless of political views. I think creating a paper that allows students to have a voice of their own is something that we accomplished, and I think will be continued in the following years to come.
Q: Rich, you’ve spent the last three semesters as the guy running the show. Be it editing, assigning stories, scheduling staff meetings, recruiting new writers and maintaining those on staff. Describe that experience. Has it been rewarding? A burden?
R: It’s been the most rewarding burden I’ve had to handle. I really enjoyed the responsibility of being the person who is most accountable for the papers’ release because I did feel a certain ownership with it. Perhaps the most rewarding aspect of working for the paper are all of the relationships that I’ve built up, whether they are staffers or students and teachers I’ve covered.
Q: Moving on now, will either of you pursue a similar job as this one at your next institution, or was this a one-time deal?
A: I think that I will work for the paper at Northern Illinois University, but I will not be seeking out the editor job, I would much rather be a staff writer and put more focus on my school work and my intended major.
R: It’s hard to foresee me being offered an editing position at Lewis, but I may become a staff writer there.
Q: Final question – What are your predictions for where the Blazer will be in five years?
A: I believe that if the Blazer continues to have staff with the qualities that our staff has had the last few years, the paper will continue to grow and become an important outlet for students to voice their opinion as well as keep up to date with what’s happening around campus. The Blazer has changed a lot over the past year thanks to the work and ideas of our staff, and can only get better.
R: I think it will get better and better. A bigger and more interactive online presence which may very well replace our print versions. Either way, it will continue to be a vital aspect of student life at JJC and provide great opportunities for the Blazer’s staff.
While editors and staff writers pass through every year, Blazer advisor Bob Marcink is the lone constant. 18 years in, there isn’t much he hasn’t seen, so his input into Rich and Alex’s performance is not one to take lightly.
Q: What was it like working with those two guys for as long as you did?
B: Rich and Alex are responsible for taking the paper to a place where it really hadn’t gone before. Although we have had an online version of the paper for a while, it was really just a rehash of the print version. Now we have an online version that is current, interactive and something to be very proud of.
Alex took the lead on the online version, and he deserves a great deal of credit for getting it up and running.
Rich, on the other hand, took the lead in the print version, serving as the main editor for content and the primary news writer. He has done a great job. The Blazer has been lucky to have a lot of excellent editors during my years as adviser, but no one has done a better job than Rich. He has made my job easy, and I like that.
Q: Do you feel they’ve left the Blazer in better shape than they found it?
B: Rich and Alex will both be missed, but they leave the Blazer in great shape. They should be proud of their legacy as Blazer editors. They are going to do great things at their next stop, and it has been a pleasure for me to work with both of them.
Maska will transfer to Lewis University next semester in pursuit of a Bachelor’s in U.S. history. Forgue will be attending Northern Illinois University in pursuit of Bachelor’s in physics.
MOVING FORWARD
The Blazer will carry on with, yours truly, taking over next semester as editor-in-chief. Elias Albert will assume the duties of sports editor, Jami Shawmeker will remain as photo editor, and Olivia Bergagna is slated to assume the duties of copy editor.
As of this story, there is a vacancy for next semester for our web admin/social media editor position, and we’re always in the hunt for fresh, new writers.
Maska and Forgue leave big shoes to fill, and I don’t take that notion lightly. I learned a lot about speaking my mind, and stepping up in spite of long odds from these two gentlemen. I think I speak for everyone here when I say – good luck to both of you, and thank you.
Job well done.
Joel served seven years in the U.S. Coast Guard (2005-2012) and wrote sports columns for the Corpus Christi Caller-Times in Texas from April 2009 to October 2014.
