Managing editor says goodbye after 2+ years

By Jayne Smith

I am not a journalism student. But when I first toured SUNY Plattsburgh in 2019, I toured the journalism department. I met the faculty, learned about its programs and visited for the first time the Cardinal Points office.

For entirely unrelated reasons I lost interest in studying journalism over the next year, and instead pursued other areas of study. After switching from a history major to sociology during my second semester, I began taking photography courses and shooting for fun in my free time.

It wasn’t until the end of my third semester that my very good friend Aleksandra Sidorova, the then news editor, encouraged me to join up and fill the newspaper’s need of a photography editor. I saw it as an opportunity to hone my skills as a photographer, get my name published and be involved in something my friends were already doing.

It turned out to be so much more to me.

Mine is not a name you see attached to articles often. This is, in fact, only my third and final story for the newspaper. Even still, my face has come to be somewhat recognizable — I’m that curly-haired girl you may have seen with a camera at campus and community events, often paired with a reporter. 

Despite being less of a reporter than others at Cardinal Points, I feel like I’ve been able to engage with the community on a higher level. Having had the opportunity to share my skills to tell the stories of SUNY Plattsburgh’s community has made working on the newspaper for five semesters without a doubt the most rewarding experience of my academic career. 

My most valued takeaway has been getting to know so many incredible people by working with them on the newspaper. Spending long, late hours putting our hearts into our pages truly is a communal endeavor. It takes cooperation to make it work. It’s a kind of hectic harmony that’s never not messy, but that’s the beauty of it. Being a part of that kind of project bolsters your sense of fellowship.

At this point most of my closest friends are people I met or got to know better through Cardinal Points, and I love it. I will always cherish the moments and bonds I made in that newsroom.

For the spring 2025 semester, I had the honor of being elected managing editor. I had never seriously considered taking on a leadership position like that, but four semesters with Cardinal Points made me confident I could handle it. 

And I did — working alongside Michael Purtell, Editor in Chief and friend, I grew into my new responsibilities. It has been uniquely rewarding and transformative.

I don’t know what Cardinal Points will look like next year. I wish the best to the editors of the future, and hope against hope that the newspaper sees higher involvement from the community it serves. 

In an age where unprecedented changes are being made to restrict public education, international students are having their legal status removed without due process, collegiate journalism is more important than ever. It is crucial for students to stay informed, and for students’ voices to be amplified.
SUNY Plattsburgh, I will miss you, but I don’t know if I would have missed you as much had it not been for Cardinal Points. I hope you treasure your newspaper, because it will always hold a special place in my heart.