05/09/08

To most people, the Baker Orange is a piece of paper.

You’re right. It’s a semi-recycled piece of paper that clutters classrooms on Friday afternoons.

To most people, we venture where we don’t belong. This year, we’ve been called nosy. We’ve been told we pry too much, specifically in sore subjects like death or controversy.

You’re right. We’re curious.

To most people, we’re untrustworthy. This year, we’ve been called inaccurate. We’ve been told we misquote and misrepresent our sources from time to time.

You’re right. We make mistakes.

To most people, we’re obsessed. This year, we’ve been told our lives revolve around the newspaper. We’ve been accused of spending way too much time working on a newspaper that comes out once a week.

You’re right. We’re dedicated.

To most people, we’re cocky. This year, we’ve been told we think we’re better than the rest of campus, that we walk around in our blue and pink Baker Orange shirts with our noses in the air.

You’re right. We’re confident in our identity.

To most people, we complain too much. This year, we’ve been told we’re too negative. We’ve been accused of cussing too much in our columns and complaining too often in our editorials.

You’re right. We advocate change.

To most people, we’re left wing kids who have a lot to learn about journalism.

This year, we’ve been called inappropriate. We’ve been told we run unsuitable photos and content. We’ve been accused of immaturity and unprofessionalism. We’ve been intimidated.

You’re right. We’re learning.

To most people, the Baker Orange is a piece of paper with a million problems.

To us, it’s priceless.

To us, the Baker Orange means something. On a Wednesday night, while our friends are out drinking or hanging out, we’re putting together a 12-page (sometimes more) paper.

To us, it means watching your hard work pay off once a year in Wichita when we take home the All-Kansas award. To us, it means playing our part in piecing together the puzzle every week.

To us, the Baker Orange means stressing out every single second of the day. It means never slowing down, never resting. To us, it means having more weight on your shoulders than you have the strength to carry but knowing someone will help you.

To us, the Baker Orange means developing a new family. It means party-themed work nights with cheesy décor.

It means arguing over photo orientation and story hierarchy. It means friendships with people you would otherwise never have known.

It means having 26 people on your side, even when you make a mistake every once in a while. It means having a place to go when you need comfort and security, when you need a friend.

To us, the Baker Orange means being a part of a much larger picture. It means reserving your spot in the history, the tradition of the Baker Orange. It means fighting for student rights. It means declaring yourself a proponent for the future of Baker University. It means speaking up.

To most people, the Baker Orange is just a piece of paper.

To us, it’s a piece of paper we’ll never forget.

You’re right. We’re curious, mistaken, dedicated, confident and unprofessional at times.

But we’re a part of something true and unwavering.

I guess that makes you wrong.