OP-ED in Wonderland: The Daily Schedule of an Exonian Editor

By ZOE CURTIS 25’

5:30 AM - Rise and Shine (or Stumble) My day begins with a rude awakening before the sun has even considered rising. Rising out of bed like Dracula, I neglect the snooze button (“snoozing” is a privilege endowed only to staff writers), then stumble into the Dutch H o u s e kitchen for a life-saving cup of coffee.

6:00 AM - Breakfast of Champions (?) Breakfast is a luxury reserved for those with time on their hands. Grab a granola bar, or some almonds, or, more conveniently, oxygen, on the go (while t h i n k i n g about that ONE writer on deadline) and hope it staves off hunger until lunchtime.

7:00 AM - Morning Meeting Madness Gather with the sleep-deprived staff– my own anxious thoughts– for a crucial strategy session. Peruse articles, review headlines, and attempt to exude authority while nursing my eighth cup of coffee.

8:00 AM - Classroom Capers Juggle actual academic responsibilities amidst the chaos. Make some half-hearted Harkness points, take notes in English class that double as Op-Ed fodder, and discreetly edit articles during chemistry (sorry, periodic table).

12:00 PM - Lunch Break-ish Scarf down a sandwich while reviewing rough drafts and responding to urgent emails. The art of multitasking reaches new heights.

3:00 PM - Afternoon Rush School ends, but the day is far from over. Dive into more meetings, tackle syntax and structure, and pacify stressed-out writers with Jedi-level diplomacy (or cut them to ribbons concerning appositives).

6:00 PM - Dinner Break (Briefly) Grab a quick bite (preferably something that can be eaten with one hand) and dive back into the editing abyss.

8:00 PM - Deadline Drama The crescendo of chaos. Proofread, format, and pray to the printing gods for a smooth process. Wrestle with technology and writer egos until the final layout is ready for print.

2:00 AM - Night Owl Nonsense Wrap up the day, 25 coffees in, by ensuring comments are resolved on the final document. Revel in a fleeting moment of victory before realizing that distribution day looms ahead.

5:00 AM - Sweet/ Bitter Dreams Collapse into bed, visions of headlines dancing in my head. Sleep, however brief, before the cycle begins anew