Thomas Looney
Opinions Editor

Every experience has its ups and downs. Being an editor for the Roar this semester has been a phenomenal experience for me. 

I have truly enjoyed working with and getting to know the rest of the Roar staff. 

Also, through my position, I have created many friendships with writers that I will take with me as I leave. 

Being an editor, there were times when all I wanted to do was quit. This feeling usually came right after I realized that a writer had bailed on me the night before a deadline or when I read an article and had no idea what the writer was trying to say. 

But, more often than not, things turned out for the best. The articles were coherent, and I had friends to back me up when someone else let me down.

However, due to other obligations and my decision to take on eighteen hours next semester, I am stepping down as Opinions Editor. 

Some of the greatest highlights of being an editor were those days when I opened my email and discovered that someone new was interested in writing for my section or the times when I read an article and went “Wow, this is perfect.” 

I would suggest joining the Roar staff to all either as a writer or even an editor. Doing so can really help one to recognize their own abilities and being a part of something bigger than just yourself is an incredible feeling.

ALENA HANSON
Opinions Editor

As the new Opinions Editor, I am excited and nervous. There are many things that I still have to get better at and dig deeper into, but the experiences have already begun. 

I have learned that editors do much more than people give them credit for. They are not just people with a title. They work hard to get these articles out there for their readers. I have also learned to have a back-up plan. Do not just expect everything to work out. Be prepared to have a Plan B. 

I have also come to realize that relationships need to be established. The connections made with staff writers and contributing writers needs be strong. Those friendships can increase productivity and output, so I am ready to begin searching for writers to work with. Not only those interactions, but editor-to-editor relationships need to be made, too. I’m the newbie—an outsider. I have to come in and replace one of their own. It’s difficult, but I do have my strengths. I hope to become a useful member of the Roar family. 

Stepping up mid-year to be the Opinions Editor was something I never thought possible. I was waiting until an opportunity arose; it happened sooner rather than later. Things can change or stay the same, depending on what I see for this section of the Roar. Do I want to keep the same staff writers? Do I want have a column going? What kind of stories do I want? So many decisions have now fallen to me, and all I can think is: “Let’s do this.”