As a freshman, I used to pick up the Daily Lobo, browse the pages, and either toss it aside or add it to the disorganized mess in my backpack.
That was before I knew how much work goes into putting one issue out.
Today is the 147th issue of the paper this year and the last issue under my leadership.
Believe me - I cringe now when people throw out the Lobo.
We often tell the stories of the UNM community, but people don't seem to know much about the staff behind the pages of the Lobo.
Let me tell you, they are dedicated students who spend hours writing, planning, covering stories, taking photographs, editing and designing on top of going to school full time and having lives. Well, as much of a life as possible.
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People are shocked to find out I leave Marron Hall at 3 a.m. three times a week.
People are also amazed when they find out that a group of students publish this paper. That's right - students write, edit, design and take photographs so this paper can come out five times a week for readers to pick up and browse.
Here are the students who publish the paper so you can browse at your convenience:
Jessica Del Curto deserves recognition for her support and dedication as managing editor this past year. Without Jessica, I could not have survived the long nights or tough situations.
She is an incredible writer and a careful editor who has been instrumental in bringing the staff together. She cares about what the paper looks like every day, and she brings you in-depth stories on topics from hip-hop to suspension. No topic is out of bounds to this journalist. Look for her byline in the future.
Riley Bauling and John Bear work more than they should to put out interesting and entertaining sports and culture sections. Both are strong writers with a flair for humor and creativity. They are not afraid of taking risks to write good articles.
Steven Fernandez has a quiet nature, but an intensity for sports writing that is unparalleled. He and Riley have been a strong team at the sports desk.
Katy Knapp and Christopher Sanchez have continued to be newshounds this year, sniffing out stories and writing article after article about protests, tuition and administration.
Eva Dameron and Caleb Fort should be recognized for writing hundreds of quality stories for the paper about topics ranging from artists to ASUNM. These two are addicted to talking to people and telling good stories through their balanced writing and reporting.
Ali Patterson and her staff of copy editors work long hours making sure stories are clean by checking the facts and writing headlines.
Jesse Schulz and his design staff also deserve to be recognized for staying into the late hours of the night to lay out the paper. Jesse defined the look for our paper this year and set the standard for years to follow. He has incredible artistic talent that will be a part of whatever he does in life. He should also get props for keeping a clear head at 3 a.m.
Xavier Mascare§as and Harrison Brooks have established the standard for photography in the paper. Both have worked hard to get the right angle and capture that extra element to make photos in this paper look great.
Also, Eric Garcia, our political cartoonist, deserves special recognition for gracing our pages with his work. He will be famous one day.
And although students publish the pages of the Daily Lobo, I need to thank Jim Fisher, business manager of student publications, Daven Quelle, advertising coordinator, and Carolyn Souther, office manager, for their guidance and support this past year.
Writing coach Jim Montalbano has been incredibly helpful this year, critiquing our work and guiding us through stories and situations. The staff has really connected with Jim this year and has learned to appreciate his humor and advice in keeping the paper accurate, interesting and well-edited. He has also helped guide me through the sticky situations that have arised at the paper.
Lastly, I'd like to thank those of you who pick up the paper and contribute to its pages through stories or letters to the editor on the Opinion page. Chris Narkun has been running that section for the past two years, and in that time, more and more people have shared their opinions with us.
These are the students who publish the paper, not including the reporters and photographers who contribute to it.
Think about that the next time you browse its pages.
Rivkela Brodsky
Editor in chief
