Two and a half years I spent with Cardinal Points. I remember walking around as a freshman and thinking, “Wow, people actually write the newspaper.” I thought it was something I couldn’t ever do. During my first semester of my sophomore year, I joined and was instantly intimidated by all the editors. I didn’t have that sort of confidence in myself that I saw in my editors.
During my first week, I actually got into a lot of trouble. I remember my editor getting upset because someone on staff was interviewed in my article and apparently, one of my sources said I never interviewed with her even though I did. I had to submit my notes and recording to prove I wasn’t lying, and it was a rough start with Cardinal Points. From there, I was already at the bottom, so I really had to prove myself. The following week, I got my shit together, wrote a clean article with good sources, and from that point on, I had to keep up that momentum. From there, I took an associate editor position, a section editor and eventually editor in chief.
Being editor in chief was by far the most challenging position I’ve ever taken on. I had to figure out a lot of dynamics of the newspaper because we were working with a small staff. Being the boss definitely had its challenges. I had to do about 50 different tasks on a daily basis, and I usually messed up on at least one. The one thing I’ve gained by becoming a leader is confidence. I learned how to lead meetings. I was constantly dealing with conflict between writers and editors. I lost a lot of sleep because of it, but I wouldn’t have changed a thing.
Even though it stressed me out so much, it was a challenge that I knew I could power through, and to my surprise, I did it well. If I didn’t know how certain tasks would turn out, I would have to take on the “fake it until I make it” attitude. I learned how to stand up for myself and use my voice to drive the newspaper. I’ve written some pretty hard-hitting articles, and I’ve also written some vulnerable ones, and the best feeling is seeing your byline associated with a piece that you’re proud of.
There’s a ton of people I want to thank. Thank you to Ezra and Laura for helping me carry the newspaper. You’re both two of the most humble editors I’ve ever met. Thank you Max for always looking out for me. Sometimes people think I always had it together, but you always knew when I was stressed or fed up. Thank you to Hilly for growing into such a wonderful writer. It’s nice to see one of my own writers blossom almost identically to the way I did. Ben, thank you for having the courage to take on my role next semester.
Ashley, you are an angel, and your positivity and energy was always appreciated. You never complained, and always kept it professional. Julissa, it was amazing to work with my best friend and kill it ‘Blair Waldorf style.’ Thanks to Joey, Dave and Marissa for helping me adjust to being editor in chief. And in general, thanks to all the editors who let me take naps in the office every now and then.
Thank you to Shawn Murphy for having full confidence in me when I was so unsure about becoming EIC. And thank you to Luke Cyphers for challenging me every time I got comfortable with the newspaper. The key to being a successful leader is having people that want to be there for you and support you.
And finally, thanks to Lisa Scivolette for showing me the type of editor I wanted to be. I always looked up to her and how confident and fierce she was, and I do see a little bit of her in me.
It’s been a crazy two and a half years, and I’m ready to move on. Cardinal Points will always have a special place in my heart.
Email Kavita Singh at cp@cardinalpointsonline.com
