Sun Day Refresher Course 101

Due to a placement test for college, I was remanded to taking a refresher course in mathematics before continuing into standard college level math. It was no secret that I was a poor math student, partly because I found math boring, partly because my brain doesn’t seem to process numbers like most people’s, and partly because I couldn’t see how anything beyond basic math skills was necessary for “real life.” I never saw my mother or father employ calculus on their checkbook. And, let’s face it, I wasn’t headed for a career in rocket building.

This said, when I walked into Math 101 the first day, I wasn’t in a good mood. My mood worsened when the teacher opened with 2+2 on the chalkboard. (That’s not an exaggeration for comedic effect.) I wasn’t in Math 101; I was in Math 1. Fine, I wasn’t the greatest math student, and since at 19, my ego was still pumping a full eight cylinders, I was instantly infuriated. While the teacher worked his way into, dare I say, 10 + 10, I tore through the pages of my book and nearly had a stroke when I realized that it wasn’t until the last chapter (a semester away) that I hit on calculations I had trouble with. I was outraged. Was there seriously no intermediate math between basic arithmetic and where I was at? I slapped the book closed, shoved it in my bag, and walked out in the middle of class. It was the last math class I ever took in my life.

I’m still no math whizz (you’re reading the Sun Day, not the Algebra Times), but on my own, my math skills have developed quite well. I still can’t build a rocket, and working with fractions at times locks my brain up, but I do well enough. And I haven’t gotten any complaints from my ad reps when they get their commission statements, so I’d say I’m doing just fine.

However, not all refresher courses are bad (or insulting). And at times they have value. Like a good segue, a refresher course can seamlessly transition you from point A to point B.

In the past few months, the Sun Day received numerous communiqué that have prompted me to pick up my own version of a stick of chalk and head to the blackboard (or in theme of a newspaper, the black-and-white board) and give my go at the Sun Day 101: A Refresher Course in the Elements and Style of Your Community’s Newspaper. No need to worry, there will be no pop quizzes later.

Since its inception, the Sun Day’s unwritten motto has always been, “If it happens in Sun City, it happens in the Sun Day.” When we expanded to Edgewater and created “The Edge,” that motto expanded, as well: “If it happens in Edgewater, it happens in The Edge.”

In the Sun Day, you will never find anything that didn’t happen in, doesn’t directly pertain to, or isn’t of interest to either community.

Moving forward.

The Sun Day publishes three primary and different types of material: articles, columns, submissions.

At the risk of adding 2+2 for everyone, let me explain.

Articles

Articles are the main and primary feature of the Sun Day and are helmed and written entirely by Sun Day staff writers or direct contributors. They are recognizable by the byline, which sets off the article at the top, as seen on the cover story of this week’s edition. Unlike anything else in the Sun Day, they’re broadcasted as a factual news story and, to the best of our knowledge at the time, contain only true and accurate information.

Columns

I’m not going to even try to beat around the bush or hide behind the 1,000 words or so this editorial is with columns. Columns are the primary reason for the “refresher course” you’re reading now. Apparently, there has been some confusion over columns, in that they’re being perceived as articles, and thought, therefore, that they must be true. Columns in the Sun Day are recognizable again by their byline, which, again, sets off the column, but columns’ bylines are boxed in and either contain the columnist’s headshot (or mug shot, as we say in news) or a particular logo (as seen with Ask the Woodchucks, Ask an Angel, or, yours truly’s, Happy Trails).

What differentiates columns from anything else in the paper is that author intrusion (or the writer’s opinion) is fully allowed and is usually blatant and obvious. It is their take on the subject at hand. It is not to be considered a news element, because in the purest news element, there is no room for author intrusion. In a news story, the writer’s thoughts and opinions ride the bench for the season. Although, it is the columnist’s responsibility to uphold a level of truth if they’re commenting on news factions, like certain bills or laws being discussed in the news. A columnist cannot just make up his/her own bills or laws and let their ballpoint flow. Where the columnist is allowed to deviate from the truth is for exaggeration or for comedic effect, or like Judi Tepe does with her Slice of Life column. In no way is her take on life in the Edgewater community supposed to be (nor does she intend it to be) a factual news element. Otherwise, the headline on her current column would read:

Edgewater man wears Bermuda shorts, black socks, sandals Community outraged

When reading columns, too, a level of responsibility falls on the reader of same. Most newspapers out there have health and wellness or home repair/maintenance or money columnists for example. We offer those, too: A Healthier You, Ask the Woodchucks, Frugal Forum.

Although the authors of each of those columns are confident in what they write and express that confidence (like all our columnists do), that doesn’t mean the information they’re sharing is correct for you. If, for example, A Healthier You columnist Norma Thompson expresses her views on why cholesterol medication isn’t good, don’t take her word for it. Do your own research. Consult your doctor. Norma is simply providing an expanded look, albeit her look, at today’s medical field, the same as all the columnists are doing with their own areas of interest.

Submissions

Like columns, there has been confusion on these, too. Submissions appear in various forms throughout the Sun Day; they’re found in sections like Political Place, Resident Reporter, Hang Your Hat, and You’re Invited, or are woven into the pages in the form of NewsQuicks. In the cases of Political Place, Resident Reporter, and Hang Your Hat, submissions are most recognizable by, once again, their byline. Only with these, the byline appears at the bottom of the item, ie:

John Doe
Neighborhood 1

Submissions again are not to be confused with news stories. They are the opinions, takes, or experiences of the readers who submitted them and should be viewed as such.

All this said, the Sun Day does uphold a responsibility to make sure the content, whether authored by a staff writer, a columnist, or a reader, is quality material, valuable to the readers, and is appropriate. I will personally assure you that no matter the material the Sun Day features, the editorial staff and I work extremely hard to keep a balance in content and make sure the material meets our standards of accuracy and quality. Do we make mistakes, sure. But do we neglect? Never.

Now I have to admit, I lied above. I said there’d be no pop quizzes after the class ended. Everybody, lick your pencils; it’s time for a pop quiz.

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