What follows is a faithful account of the production of Issue 2 (taking place the evening of Sept. 18/early morning of Sept. 19) as witnessed by me, The Pioneer’s Editor in Chief.
6:30 p.m.: Whoops, I forgot to start the live blog. Commence the first production live blog of the year!
6:32 p.m.: Chief Copy Editor Matthew realizes that it looks like he’s “prom-holding” Annie in our editors photo. He is mortified. Feature Editor Karah decides she will crop the picture and make it her Facebook profile picture.
6:35 p.m.: Matthew points out that the former headline for this post “Production Night Live Blog for September 18” does not follow AP Style.
7:24 p.m.: EIC Shelly heads off to Senior Sem, continuing the tradition of the politics major-Editor in Chief combo. I, Managing Editor Pam, now take control of the Live Blog (insert evil laugh here).
7:42 p.m.: All writers have officially submitted their quote checks! I rejoice. No bothersome emails tonight!
8:06 p.m.: Update to the Matthew and Annie photo saga. Matthew says it’s awful. Feature Editor Karah responds that she thinks it’s the best thing ever.
8:22 p.m.: Feature is done, meaning Karah beats deadline for (almost) the first time in her life, and by 48 minutes at that. Granted she used to be News Editor…but still quite the accomplishment.
8:32 p.m.: Sports clocks in two minutes after deadline. They would have made it, but I tried to get cute with a headline…my bad.
9:38 p.m.: Debates are settled over two issues: the size of the women’s soccer photo on the front page (we go the creative route and make it extend to the edge of the page and over the Pioneer flag) and the inclusion of an “other-wordly” pun in Feature (check out the paper tomorrow afternoon to find it!). An informal poll of the newsroom is pro-pun, so it stays.
9:59 p.m.: Sarah offers gummy worms to the newsroom. I lament the fact that our efficiency makes production night less newsworthy for the Live Blog.
10:15 p.m.: Shelly returns! The fun commences as we see the light at the end of the tunnel. Just inside news and the front page to go!
11:14 p.m.: Copy editor Natalie is annoyed that AP style requires album titles to be italicized, but no other types of titles (like books) and backs her annoyance by saying she’s an English major. I ask her fellow English major Dylan how he feels about it. He is ambivalent.
11:20 p.m.: Matthew considers taking over the Live Blog. He then realizes that he may have nothing to say. Then he reprimands me for not making the Live Blog follow AP style.
11:33 p.m.: Debate regarding the spelling of a writer’s name prompts discussion about how some people go by a nickname in different settings. Matthew learns that in school I go by Pamela, but in newspaper things I go by Pam. Shelly says that maybe she should go by “Shell,” and then she would be “Shell Le.”
11:37 p.m.: Taylor Swift has entered the newsroom. Let the goat and paper towel videos and jokes begin.
11:44 p.m.: Matthew actually takes over but has nothing to contribute to an update.
11:46: Star pupil and copy editor Natalie has finished her homework.
11:47: Shelly and Ben debate over whether a person exists or not.
11:48: Existential crises ensues.
11:49: Pam debates meaning of existentialism and tries to overtake blog by claiming that my posts are short. Little does she know that no AP Style guidelines have been overlooked (except the passive voice has been existed here…).
11:50: Pam learns what her actual job is: queen of production night and libations coordinator (at 22, she’s the oldest in the room.).
11:51: Pam questions accuracy of the blog. Beyoncé plays in the background. Sean claims it’s “all over.”
11:52: Shelly dismisses News Editors Sarah and Dylan. For some reason they don’t immediately leave.
11:54: Pam claims Beyoncé isn’t Beyoncé. Shell Le’s music sounds depressing, on the other hand. How should we label Shelly? Ben essentially calls it emo.
11:55: Pam does merely mediocre dancing with her feet while her laptop battery slowly approaches 20 percent. A new record for her, I believe.
11:56: Pam falls asleep while watching TV a lot. Sometimes she breaks her laptop in the process. Lazy or boundary-pusher?
11:57: Shell Le hugs her stuffed animal. Once again, Pam questions accuracy of the blog. Revolution to follow.
11:58: I hope Karah reads this tomorrow.
11:58: It’s almost tomorrow. And everyone is still wearing shoes!
12:00: Natalie notices quotation scandal.
12:01: Pam is amazed by the power of military time. It turns out she’s never seen it before.
12:02: Two minutes later, quotation scandal is resolved.
12:03: Natalie rants about the Oxford Comma. Let it out, Natalie! She’s also concerned about her reputation in the Live Blog. Shell Le is concerned by lack of music.
12:04: Ben is “good to go,” according to Shell Le. How envious we are…
12:05 Shell Le is offended by her subordinate’s word choices. We are thoroughly reprimanded. Matthew takes a break to do actual work.
12:09: Staff members discuss personal matters. Shell Le is going to the Patisserie tomorrow. Meet her there at 9 a.m.
12:12: Buy her an almond croissant. That’s her favorite. She doesn’t go to Starbucks, it turns out. Sean knows all of their prices, including tax.
12:13: Ben gets to leave! And says “cheers, guys” upon departure.
12:14 a.m.: Bye Natalie! Matthew relinquishes control of the Live Blog back to me (Pam). Or I take it back, you be the judge. I am queen of production night, after all.
12:22 a.m.: The minutes tick away. Can we beat our finish time from last week? (12:39 a.m.)
12:24 a.m.: Sean and Shelly share their childhood athletic pursuits. Sean’s parents made him play lots of sports. Shelly played soccer until 8th grade and played midfield, but all she wanted to do was stand by the goal.
12:30 a.m.: I tell last year’s Managing Editor Libby Arnosti to go read our Live Blog. She wants more. Here it is: MORE.
12:45 a.m.: Shelly and Sean tell us fun stories about Guatemala, like how Shelly almost died from fever (according to Sean).
12:48 a.m.: Matthew packs up to leave and announces he is off to the library, “because it’s not really that late.”
12:57 a.m.: PDFs off to the printer! As Shelly says, “Time for jammies.”
