A troop of four Cub Scouts came to the Alligator office Monday looking to get a glimpse at what goes into the day-to-day production of our newspaper.
For about an hour, we gave the 7-year-old boys a tour of our office, answered questions and let them sit in on our daily staff budget meeting so they could see what goes on behind the scenes in the newspaper world. But while this was supposed to be a learning experience for them, a chance for the kids to grasp what we do every day (or twice a week over the Summer), they were ultimately the ones who taught us a lesson.
They showed us the true value of storytelling and whimsy.
The quartet of youngsters walked into the office with smiles on their faces and nothing short of enthusiasm, as if they were ready to take on the world with the force of pen and paper.
Their eyes lit up with excitement when they saw the newsroom, immediately running to the editor chairs and acting like they had been on the job for years.
They left their mark in the sports section, showing off their physical skills by bouncing an inflatable baseball around the room and playing with foam fingers and memorabilia left by editors of semesters past.
The Cub Scouts looked through our archives, seeing how the largest student-run paper has transformed over the decades.
They were vocal in the budget meeting, making it obvious they thought the Coast 2 Coast story warranted space on the front page and “the dog in the watermelon costume” was the best photo we had to offer (and who are we to deny a fact like that?).
Put simply, they were naturals.
And most importantly, the Cub Scout troop left its mark on us.
The visit reminded us that we’re not just writing and editing when we come into the office on Mondays and Wednesdays.
As journalists, it’s our job to inform, whether through text, art or a tour through a fraternity-house-turned-news- room.
We need to be on top of our game, up-to-date on all the necessary information and ready to answer any question that could be thrown our way — and if the Cub Scouts ask, yes, there is an actual alligator in the dumpster outside our office and that’s really where we got the name for the newspaper.
It may seem like something small, but in the end, it’s the little things that make the biggest differences.
After all, there is much more to life than deadlines, exams and paychecks, and we hope that we can remind you of that the same way the Cub Scouts did for us.
So thank you, Troop 82, for reminding us of the bigger picture.
