By Zach Waltz
Sports Editor
When I first started writing for The Bona Venture, I had no clue what I was getting myself into. I figured I would just be writing some stories every week, and I was perfectly content with that. Seeing my name on a byline in print is a feeling that never gets old. However, as I worked my way up through assistant editor positions all the way up to sports editor, I learned one thing that may be more important than anything else: there is no place like a newsroom.
My journey with the BV started my freshman year after I picked up a copy of the paper and decided I would try to write for sports. I was welcomed in and quickly began picking up skills to improve my writing. As I continued to write for the paper, I started to become familiar with the editors who I would see every Wednesday. I had no idea that I would eventually be one of those editors.
Stepping into a newsroom full of upperclassmen editors is definitely nerve wracking as a freshmen, especially when you don’t know any of them. In retrospect, I had no reason to be nervous. The students that work for the BV are all kind, dedicated students that will welcome anyone with arms wide open. For this reason, I continued writing for the BV and even decided I would try for an editor’s position. Once I became assistant sports editor, that’s when the BV became interesting for me.
My first semester or two, I was very reserved when mingling among my fellow editors. I have never been extremely close to anyone on the staff, so I tended to keep to myself and only speak when spoken to. However, this time allowed me to observe the crazy and fun-loving atmosphere in the newsroom. People were singing show tunes and throwing footballs, and amongst all the hectic mess, I felt at home. It’s amazing that we can even put out a newspaper some weeks. As I grew more familiar with the people around me, I started to open up a little more. While I still may not be best friends with anyone on the staff, I thoroughly enjoyed my time spent in the newsroom, as we have become a team of students that are all focused on the same goal.
Regardless, I won’t miss the nights of laying pages and waiting for the printer to work, but I will miss the feeling of accomplishment that comes along with seeing your section looking fresh in the newest edition of the BV. I’ll still be in the staff as a desking editor next semester, but I’ll cherish my time spent as a sports editor. This semester has presented its fair share of challenges, but no matter the dilemma, we always seemed to figure it out. From stories getting cut last minute to dealing with going bi-weekly for the first time in the paper’s history, it has definitely been a whirlwind of a semester, and it’s hard to believe that my time in charge of the sports section is dwindling.
That being said, I would like to thank those who have gone before me and served as mentors to me. Both Taylor Nigrelli and Harrison Leone have been instrumental in helping progress me as a writer and an editor. I’d also like to thank my two editors below me, Pat Tintle and Gavin Lindahl. In what may have been a random grouping of guys, we managed to do our best and put together a respectable sports section every week, and I’m confident you both will succeed when it comes time for you to take over the section. Lastly, I’d like to thank everyone on the BV staff, past and present, for welcoming me into the newsroom and giving me memories that I will not forget anytime soon.
Zach Waltz is the sports editor for
The Bona Venture. His email is waltzzd12@bonaventure.edu
