After working on the Spectator for four semesters as sports editor and a month as editor-in-chief, I’ve had the opportunity to witness changes, events and news at VSU. And as my time as an editor comes to an end, I can’t help but reflect on the issues the current and past editors faced every Wednesday night when the paper was put together.

The questions always seemed to be the same but weren’t the kind of questions that had a simple answer.

What makes people pick up the paper? What can we do better as an editorial staff? How can we motivate and keep staff writers? What news really matters to our readers? Until now it seemed that it was up to us as the editors to answer those questions.

But recently, a Facebook group called “VSU Student Newspaper ‘The Spectator’ Discussion Group” was brought to my attention. The group was started by students I’ve never heard of and whose only involvement with the Spectator is that they read it. Members sound off on all sorts of issues like what can be better, what’s the best section, what do they want to see more of?

As a writer and soon-to-be former editor of the paper, I love it.

At last check the group was closing in on 200 members. That means that 200 people actually care about the school they attend and care enough to critique and praise (gulp!) the student newspaper.

In the past, some editors have said that if people complain about the Spectator that they should join it if they want to see improvements. I’ll admit, I’ve been there myself. Spectator editors are normal students who have full class loads and other extra curricular activities. We’re not pros and don’t work on our paper for eight hours a day. We try our best but we still make mistakes and sometimes people jump down our throats.

But at the end of the day, the reason why students become editors of the Spectator is because they care about what goes on at this school. And if other students have something to say about what the newspaper needs to do, then I believe it’s the duty of editors to listen. After all, the purpose of a newspaper is to serve as a fourth estate to serve the public.

This Facebook group is a great way for students to help get involved and make a difference in their paper. I know that working on the Spectator was always worth my while because it will help me professionally, but now I can say that I’ve gotten personal satisfaction because the students I’ve been writing to are responding with a voice of their own. And that makes my time as an editor at the Spectator well spent.

Some editors have signed off their final editorials with profound statements and others with goofball remarks. Me? I’ll leave you with a combination of the two: Keep reading, keep caring and Go Blazers!

This editorial was written by Adam MacDonald and it expresses the opinion of the entire editorial staff.