Pictured Above: Catherine Hicks is a senior mass communications major. Catherine Hicks is a senior mass communications major and the news editor for ‘The Crow’s Nest.’
Sophie Ojdanic | The Crow’s Nest
By Catherine Hicks
As a starry-eyed freshman, I wasn’t very interested in clubs or extracurricular activities, but The Crow’s Nest quickly became an exception to this rule.
In my first class I took in the journalism major, writing for mass media, I was introduced to The Crow’s Nest – USF St. Petersburg’s student-run newspaper.
I was in awe, as we passed around the printed newspaper and admired the professional printing and design. From that day forward, working at The Crow’s Nest was a goal, albeit one I wasn’t sure I would achieve.
In my junior year, however, I decided to take a chance and apply for the position of news editor. At the time, I had no idea it would be a year unlike any other – working remotely and learning how to report and interview in the all new virtual format.
Despite the changes, working at The Crow’s Nest provided me with unparalleled experience – and friendships.
Producing a newspaper each week allowed me to become familiar with the realities of working under a strict deadline and how to handle them, as well as sharpen my AP style skills. Both of these lessons are difficult to teach in a classroom setting, and only can be understood through practice.
One of the most invaluable lessons I learned was how useful and valuable collaboration is with people who share the same passion for and knowledge of journalism. The flip side of this lesson also showed me the value of an opinion different from my own.
Our weekly production day meetings, though still socially-distanced, consistently provided some much needed human interaction and companionship. I’m not likely to forget the late nights spent in the office together, the inside jokes, the pets introduced or any of the memories made together.
As we come to the end of our time together, I realize only now that The Crow’s Nest was the very best part of my college experience.
