Frosh Issue – September 2nd, 2008
Uncategorized Comments OffEditorial
For this special pre-Frosh Week edition of the Baron, we the editorial staff would like to wish a warm welcome to both new and returning students to our beloved campus. But more importantly, we want to take a moment for some shameless self promotion so as convince you to come join the Baron team.
Oh, we know how it is. It’s Frosh Week, and just about every campus group worth their salt is already pounding the pavement for new recruits. The mantra of “get involved, get involved, get involved!” is repeated ad nauseam. Everywhere they turn, students are encouraged to make more of their university experience than merely attending lectures, cramming for tests and devising new and inventive hangover remedies. (As is common knowledge, foolish students waver from these tried and true principles of scholarly excellence at their peril!) We recognize that our plea is just one among the many voices calling upon you to devote your precious time to a particular campus society/sport/organization etc.
Rest assured that we recruiters are not attempting to woo impressionable young minds to our respective causes because we take some perverse delight in heaping more work or responsibility onto the soon-to-be over burdened and stressed out. (That’s merely a side benefit.)
Seriously though, the reality is that avoiding extra curricular activities means missing out on the more memorable and rewarding parts of university life. Such participation helps forge relationships and connections that can long outlive your time as a university student. It’s also no secret that putting time into school activities is a great way to beef up one’s resume’ - a particularly important asset when applying for competitive scholarship or job opportunities. But more important still, these ventures offer the thrill of challenging yourself and hopefully attain some skills or disciplines that can help you later down the road. Take it from us, these years shoot past much quicker than you’d expect and it’s a shame not to make the most of them.
So, having converted you to the merits of all things post-curricular, the question then becomes what to become involved in? We can attest (without a trace of bias) that the Baron should be your first choice.
Now, before an angry mob of various UNBSJ clubs and groups wielding torches and pitchforks storms the Baron office it outrage over this statement (come on guys, we just cleaned up the place), please hear us out. We’re by no means bashing what they have to offer. In addition to its fantastic athletics programs, UNBSJ has a wide selection of great societies and organizations to get involved in depending on where one’s interests lie.
Passionate about issues related to female equality? The Women’s Recourse Center was made for you. Do all things Biology related stir your very soul? Seek out Biology Club membership post haste. Are you eager to try your hand at debating the finer points of Plato and Aristotle? Look no further than the Philosophy Society. The list goes on. And that’s not to mention that volunteering for the second pillar of the campus media, CFMH radio, will also prove ideally suited to the talents of many students. To put it plainly, we have nothing but the utmost respect for multitude of clubs and groups on campus (with the notable exception of the creeps at the UNBSJ Flossing Awareness Association*, who are justly despised by all) and we would never want to dissuade students from joining them.
We would argue, however, that the Baron is in a league of its own on many fronts. The ability writing clearly and effectively, an indispensible skill in most career paths, is a skill one can best hone while writing for a student paper. This experience of working in a news publication is also particularly important for anyone considering a career in journalism. Aspiring photographers should also definitely seize the opportunity for some solid on-the-job work experience.
We’ll also submit (in our snootiest aren’t-we-important tone) that, in spite of the fact that journalists might not have the respect in society that they used to, working at a paper can still be a noble endeavor. Even in this age of internet blogs and 24 hour news, news papers (including the student variety) have an important role to play in educating the public and prompting debate on the important issues of our time. We all have a stake in what happens in our campus, (as well as the larger events world outside our little bubble) so it is essential to have a wide array of student voices reporting on the kinds of stories that are important to them.
And without sounding too cocky, we like to think the Baron can appeal to students of a broader range of interests and beliefs precisely because it has the potential to be the forum through which any student can write or read about subjects that interest them. Want to unleash your righteous anger on the state of female inequality? Want to report on the latest developments in Biology research? Want to offer an opinion on the political philosophy of Barrack Obama? All these specific areas of interest have a place not only in their respective clubs (Women’s Resource, Biology, Philosophy, etc.) but also under the big tent of the Baron.
And, believe it or not, putting together a school paper can be very enjoyable. Not when we get to indulge in fun content (movie reviews, advice columns, etc.) but just seeing the fruits of one’s labor in print every two weeks can be thrilling.
So, as we embark a new academic year at UNBSJ, we hope you’ll consider our offer. At the very least, stay tuned for our first issue in the coming weeks and send us your thoughts on what you would like to see in the Baron.
Sincerely, the Baron Editorial Staff
*Though the UNBSJ Flossing Awareness Association (FAA) is entirely made up, we still assert that anyone who would join such a group is asking for contempt. Besides, clinical studies prove that using Listerine after brushing is just as good as flossing for fighting gingivitis.
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