It's about that time

A week from tomorrow is my first official contract day of the school year.

Up until tonight, I have to admit, I wasn't feeling "up" for the start of school. Lots of workshops, lots of moving and home renovation, lots of travel has me drained, I think.

Eight awesome editors and one newspaper worknight later, I'm feeling more excited. We're putting out an issue on the first day of school this year - something I've never been a part of before. So, that means production starts a little early for the Tiger Print staff this year.

Though some of the editors are a little green, they all have great attitudes and great senses of humor. As they trickled in the door tonight, each one shouted "Chittum!" Our copy editor came straight from the airport, where she had just flown in from Arizona.

She leaves tomorrow for Colorado.

She still came to worknight.

Newspaper and yearbook kids are pretty great. At one point I left the room for a minute so I could go down the hall to the restroom. By this time, it was about 7:30 p.m. The building was deserted, except for us. I love looking in the window through my door and seeing the kids in there working as I came back down the hall. They're like their own little organic unit, each working on his or her own project, but chatting together, asking and answering questions, sharing summer vacation stories.

They didn't HAVE to be there tonight, but they were. I wish that newspaper hour during the school day felt like a worknight. Sure, the class period is quite different from your run-of-the-mill high school academic class, but nothing beats a worknight. The energy is completely different.