EDITOR OF CRIMSON OUTLINES DUTIES OF STAFF MEMBERS

To the ordinary person blithely unconcerned with the trials and tribulations accompanying the daily publication of a college newspaper, the regular appearance of the CRIMSON at his door each morning may seem to be a matter of inconsequential routine.

Little conception he has of the intricate organization of the paper, the complicated functions of its various departments, the hours of fascinating work spent by its editors, the bustling activity as an issue is prepared for the press, and the harrowing, nerve-racking experiences of a night-editor.

Presses Never Cease

It is often with a feeling of insecurity that a member of the board undertakes to edit a paper on a day when the chief sources of news seem to have temporarily dried up. In such cases his sole consolation rests in the axiom that the presses must never cease rolling, and in the somewhat surprising tradition that the CRIMSON has always been published on schedule.

Yet it is just such situations as this that afford editors of the CRIMSON some of their most interesting experiences as well as furnishing a challenge to their ingenuity and imagination. Six nights in very week the CRIMSON Building becomes the scene of a persis- tant and unabated race against time, of the ceaseless struggle of the night editor to plan the composition of his paper, to supervise the writing of copy and head-lines, and to fit the type in the chases before the deadline is reached.

Planning the Paper

The business of planning the composition of an issue, of balancing, and fitting the columns so that they will present an appearance pleasing to the eye, is in itself a task of great magnitude involving precision to the utmost degree. Its difficulty is enhanced by the fact that important articles are often received late in the evening, so that the editor scarcely knows, until the last minute, exactly what will be printed.

It is obvious, therefore, that the publication of the paper, far from being a one-man job, requires extensive cooperation from editors and the efficient functioning of all departments of the paper.

Unlimited Opportunities

In addition to the occasional duty of editing a paper, the work of staff members involves other equally interesting activities of various sorts. It should be pointed out that the work of an editor is entirely voluntary, involving no compulsion of any kind. Once he has won a place on the board after a competition, an unlimited field of opportunity is open to him.

Thenceforth he is free to develop his special talents in that line of endeavor which best suits him. Whether he is by natural inclination a sports writer, a feature writer, an interviewer, a humorist, a dramatic critic, or what not, he is certain to find in the CRIMSON a most convenient and profitable outlet for his abilities.

Competition Valuable training

Stories are very current about the hardships and ordeals which face the candidate in a CRIMSON competition. Much of the difficulty for a novice, however, is largely a matter of orientation. I write as one who, having successfully been through a competition, look back upon it now as having furnished me an intensely valuable training. My subsequent experience as an editor of the CRIMSON, interesting and enjoyable in itself, has only served to strengthen this belief