I am needed

Meanwhile, back at the ranch...

While i was waiting for furniture delivery #3, I had Mr. TV News Producer, a former student, go to the high school to "supervise" the kids at newspaper deadline night. We work from after school to 10 PM on these nights, but I really wanted to be there to supervise the furniture deal. (It's a good thing I was there too, one of the whiny delivery doods complained about the mud and almost got my foot up his ass.)

Anyhoo, I maintained cell phone communication with Mr. TV, and I thought all was going well, so I took my time getting back to school. They ordered pizza, and when I returned, things seemed normal enough. Except when the kids got back to work, I realized VERY little work had actually been accomplished in the 2 previous hours.

As the tale of what happened during my absence unfolded, it involved missing Senior editors, soccer games, and students doing tumbling down the hallways. It's hard for a newspaper to get done when you have 3 students actually working. Mr. TV looked like he had been through an old-fashioned washing machine -- and said he had developed a headache from being back in the high school. Welcome to my fucking world!

So, I summonsed up some energy from deep down, and started ordering people to work. The paper got nearly completed by 10 p.m., and I put out approximately 37 fires in the five hours I was there. Kids have so much drama: Lucy, the graphics editor, was annoyed with editor-in-chief's (Laurel) older boyfriend hanging out and making snide comments; Lela, the news editor who happens to have cerebral palsy, was bummed about her parents' impending divorce; and Jason, the sports editor, had to bug out for awhile cuz he was overstimulated and had anxiety.

But, I realized I am needed. It's not enough to have a well-trained staff of high school journalists. I am the catalyst that makes things happen, and I am the hammer that has to drop eventually. According to state law, (Senate File 224) the adviser of a student publication shall "advise" and ensure students adhere to high journalistic standards. The student editors shall assign and edit the news. What the law fails to mention is that the adviser also deals with teenage angst and hormones.

So, to conclude, thanks to Mr. TV News Producer for attempting to supervise and for helping me move furniture into the house, and thanks to my students for keeping me vibrant and alive and youngerish. It's nice to be needed.