Coordinating with the Graphic Design Staff

After all of the articles for an issue of Horizons are written and edited, they go to the graphic design staff.

During fall semesters, layout is handled by a class that operates in a similar manner to the Publications class, with a combination of lessons and production work. The adviser to that group, Professor Andy Pinto, usually identifies a few students who are excelling to act as team leaders, much in the way the editors function on the writing side of the operation.

Pinto tries to lure these select students toward the end of the fall semester into an independent study course that handles layout during the spring semester. In the spring, then, there are usually only two or three students working on graphic design, but they already have the skills and familiarity with producing the newspaper to handle it on their own.

The editor-in-chief collaborates closely with whoever is on the graphic design staff, answering questions, copy-editing and making layout decisions. Graphic design students defer to him or her; they essentially work for the editor-in-chief, as would be the case at a professional newspaper.

Things don’t always go perfectly. Sometimes documents get misplaced, and the editor-in-chief has to go back to a reporter or editor to track him or her down. There can be problems with too little or too much space. The editor-in-chief usually has some “filler” material (such as copies of flyers or ads) on hand to insert in a pinch.

The editor-in-chief may become almost as skilled at using the desktop publishing software program Adobe InDesign as the graphic design students with whom he or she is working.

There is an added chance for trouble during spring semesters. Since the graphic design students create their own schedules, everyone involved makes an extra effort to stay coordinated. Nevertheless, there were several times during my own tenure as editor-in-chief when one or more students failed to finish the work on time. In those instances, I created the pages myself.

Current Editor-in-Chief Dave Weidenfeller, Professor Karyn Smith, one of the other editors and I had our first major meeting Feb. 20 with Pinto and the graphic design staff. This time around, there is only one student on that staff.

We gathered in Pinto’s office and shared our contact information. Final drafts for the first issue were due the same day, meaning graphic design would have to begin its work soon. There was another wrinkle, however: spring break would be coming the following week.

Everyone agreed it would be best to work throughout the break. That doesn’t mean it will actually happen, but it would make an earlier production date possible.

Pinto asked during the meeting who the first point of contact should be. Weidenfeller was the natural choice. I volunteered to be second. I have the experience to do anything that needs to be done.

Having only one person working in layout could be easier, because there are fewer moving pieces to coordinate. It also puts a higher burden on him, though, which could slow production. If necessary, however, I will help ensure that does not happen.