The Cadet Diaries #6

Throughout the year, Young Post hosts a number of students to work full-time in our office for a period of two weeks. Here, the cadets will gain some valuable hands-on experience on what it's like to have a 9-5 job, working for a newspaper, shadowing reporters on assignment and participating in any of the wackiness that goes on here. The cadets will share their stories at YP in a series of blogs.

A long white table surrounded by the anxious faces of reporters trying to pitch their ideas to the strict editor. Papers and timetables scattered all over the table as the red-faced editor points and yells at the reporters about deadlines. This is a typical scene you see on television of what happens in a newsroom, but that’s definitely not the case at Young Post. Well, perhaps except the nervous and anxious part for us cadets.

We started our day doing last-minute preparation for the editorial meeting where we will pitch our ideas for stories we want to write for Young Post. Most of us didn’t realise until yesterday that we had to illustrate our story ideas with details such as how we are going to put the vision into action. I frantically Googled the background information of what I planned to work on, for fear that the editor, Susan, would leave me speechless with her questions.

But to the contrary of what I have been expecting, gone are those plain chairs and stiff atmosphere. Instead it was so relieving to see that our editorial meeting was held in a circle as we all sat on comfy red couches. The welcoming atmosphere casted away most of my anxiety.

We first delved into the master list, which is a colourful timetable of what Young Post is going to feature for the next few weeks. Then each of the team members pitched their story ideas and nutgraphs, which is an outline of the story, including the incentives of writing it.

I found the meeting more hilarious than serious, especially when Susan and the team started their debate on topics like internet languages and made fun of those frequently banned ideas. Only then did I realise that not only is Young Post funny and relaxing to read, but the team itself portrayed these qualities as well.

The relaxing mood didn’t last long though, at least not for me, as the cadets started to propose their ideas right after. I was the last one to go so my heart throbbed and hammered while the others started to talk about their ideas on interesting, mind-blowing topics like healthy eating and coffee appreciation. A sense of inferiority rushed through me as my ideas weren’t as informative and interesting. But to my relief, I made it through the meeting and successfully spoke about my ideas even though I stuttered a little. Susan brightened up the atmosphere with her humour while the others such as Karly and Chris filled the meeting with laughter.

The editorial meeting ended with us cadets feeling both relieved and full of anticipation as we all couldn’t wait until the next one.