Attention class...

I’ve often thought that if my career in journalism doesn't work out, I’d almost certainly be shuffled into the high-pressure, low-pay profession of teaching.

You might say I have an affinity for poor economic decisions.

But there’s definitely a part of me that wouldn’t mind lecturing, with chalk and ruler in hand, to a bunch of munchkins.

I guess I like to be in control.

There is some irony here considering the fact that there are few environments I despise more than a classroom. If there’s even the slightest reason to skip that 11:15 class, I’ll find it and use it.

You’ve heard of professional students? I ain’t one of them.

Truth is, I thrive in the working world. I like to be doing, not listening.

Still, I might have been a teacher in a past life. And if things don’t work out as planned in this one, there’s a chance I’ll find myself in a classroom once again.

Being the editor in chief this year has given me a chance to do a bit of teaching – not in the traditional sense, of course. But I still felt like part of my job was to impart the knowledge I’ve collected during the past three years and share it with my staff.

They’re probably sick of listening to me, so I need a new soundingboard.

Dear readers, this is where you come in.

I started this blog as a means of educating readers on the newspaper industry and the role of journalism in society. I’m putting that aside for a moment and opting for pure trivia.

Enjoy.

Random Collegian trivia fact No. 1: Staff members don’t get "paid" for working here. Most editors and some reporters/photographers do receive a stipend for the many hours they put in, but the Collegian’s student staff members are essentially volunteers.

Random Collegian trivia fact No. 2: Contrary to popular belief, the James Building (where the Collegian’s newsroom resides) was not named after yours truly. Someone with a lot more money earned that honor.

Random Collegian trivia fact No. 3: The Collegian is a self-supporting, independent business. We rely heavily on revenue generated from advertising, which is sold by the Collegian’s Business Division – also composed of students.

Random Collegian trivia fact No. 4: You might think students only pick up the Collegian for the crossword puzzle, but you’d be wrong. According to an article written by the Collegian’s general manager Gerry Hamilton in the newly released Collegian Chronicles, students look for news in these pages. Campus news, national and world news and State College news top the list.

Random Collegian trivia fact No. 5: Actually, this is a newspaper fact: Letters to the editor submitted to the Collegian for publication can be edited for length or content. I know that’s not really trivia, but it just really irks me when people complain that I "ruined" their letters when I simply edited them to make sense.

Class dismissed.