By Nicole LeLacheur

Editor-in-Chief, Endicott Observer

I have to admit, I was caught a bit off guard when asked to take on the Editor-in-Chief position of the Endicott Observer this year—I had only been a part of the school newspaper staff for one short year prior, and let’s just say I was far from my journalistic prime. I quickly had to go from the quiet freshman, timid and unsure of her writing skills, to the main voice of each Tuesday night meeting. In over my head? Just a tad.

Once I got through a rather difficult first issue consisting of computer problems (or should I say “lack” of computer problems, seeing as the Observer computer had mysteriously disappeared), I finally said to myself, “Wow, I can actually do this.”

Every other Tuesday as I walked passed each issue on my way to dinner, I would smile to myself. It was a sense of both happiness and relief to see someone reading the newspaper myself and the staff worked so hard to produce. I finally had the hang of it. But now what?

It’s not just enough to get the newspaper out to the campus, of course that’s the goal, but it’s important to grow and stay with the ever-changing current of the media. So, in our attempts to digitalize, the Observer is now on both Facebook and Twitter. Along with joining the social media craze, a few featured articles from each issue are available online through the Endicott website.

Imagine an EndicottObserver.com? One can only dream.

Of course, this semester consisted of much of the same type of content the Observer is so known to produce—features about studying abroad, internships, changes to the campus, etc. Along with staying true to the Observer’s past story angles, throughout the semester we’ve tried some new sections such as witty “Twitter Trends” regarding the Endicott campus (i.e. slipping on the cross walks in the rain—you know you’ve done it), and a new advice column written by Adria Holmes which gives students some tips as to how to conquer college: maintaining relationships, where to eat off campus, how to handle stress, just to name a few (because we all know those don’t even skim the surface when it comes to college problems!

What’s in store for the future of the Endicott newspaper? Comics, student produced advertisements, possibly more digitalization, published student work—just to name a few.

But don’t worry, because one thing’s for certain: the newsstands will always be filled with your Endicott Observer.

Nicole LeLacheur is Editor-in-Chief of the Endicott Observer