Christmas break has come to an end, and a new semester is upon us. Just like a new semester is beginning, so is a new era at The Lion’s Roar. 

I would have never thought that two and a half years ago, when I walked into The Lion’s Roar office, that I would be sitting in the Editor in Chief’s chair today. I began as a staff reporter when I was a sophomore, then I trained to get my title of Copy Editor and now I am in my second semester of my senior year as Editor in Chief. It’s scary to think that I have accomplished so much in less than three years. 

In the past when I pictured myself doing this job, I saw myself just writing for the newspaper. I have learned that it is so much more than just writing. It is giving the campus everything it needs to know about what is going on in Lion athletics, on campus, off campus, in the art community and in our world. 

I have worked under four different Editors in Chief. I have watched how they have handled certain situations and how they completed, a newspaper from start to finish on a weekly basis. I will be honest. It is a long and tiring process, but nothing is better than seeing something the staff and I have created in print on the stands. All the hard work and tiring nights of writing completely pays off when I see students reading our newspaper on campus.

I will be the first to admit that I am terrified of the journey ahead, but I feel that God does not put anything in my life that I cannot handle. I am sure there will be a lot of obstacles this semester, but there is always a way to overcome them.   

One of my obstacles this semester will definitely be my other job. I work for the New Orleans Pelicans as a member of their Swoop Troop Interactive Squad. I work most of the games during the season which means I drive back and forth to Hammond weekly. This can also be tiring. The key to me being able to handle the driving back and forth, my Swoop Troop job and my job as editor is time management. I would not be where I am without time management. It is important to keep a calendar updated on everything I need to do for school as well as when I work and what articles need to be done so I can fulfill my job duties both here on the paper and for the Pelicans. 

It seems like a lot, but I am ready to tackle anything that is in front of me. I have set goals for this semester, and I am going to do my very best to achieve them. 

A few of the goals are for The Lion’s Roar. I want to be proud of the paper the staff and I will create almost every week. I want to make sure that we cover campus events, sports, cultural events and community events as well as feature new and upcoming artists, musicians, restaurants, etc. that are important to not just one person, but the entire campus and Hammond community. I know covering news seems simple, but it is a process. This process may be long and tiring, like I have said numerous times before, but I know that the other editors and staff working with me are strong enough to handle anything that is thrown our way. We are journalists. We are the heart of The Lion’s Roar.