Copies of The Herald litter Cornerstone’s campus. From newspaper racks to the trash can, students and faculty are well aware of the student newspaper’s presence. But do you understand all the extra work and effort that goes into creating a weekly publication?

Non-Herald writers often seem to feel they have a right to question paper’s quality. Although constructive criticism is always welcome and we are always seeking to improve, when does this practice become unfairly bashing or making fun of our student publication?

One of the most important things to understand about The Herald is that it is student-run. Students come up with story ideas, interview an expansive list of students and faculty, write feature, news and sports stories (in addition to the workload of all students), design and paginate the paper every week and deliver the final product to your mailbox or friendly Cornerstone corner.

If you decide not to read one word of the paper, that is certainly your own choice. Experience that freedom to the fullest. But when you begin to criticize the paper or trash talk its quality, please explain your reasons and seek to understand the hard-work of all students involved. As editors, we see the newspaper from its conception through story ideas and assignments in early Monday morning meetings all the way until late Thursday night pagination. When Friday comes, the gears of our editorial machine move again.

Rachel Watson, co-managing editor at The Herald, sees the newspaper as a good communication tool.

“I definitely think the purpose of the paper is to be a journalism piece,” Watson said. “Our program is largely built around it … It is how all of us who are majoring in journalism, or majoring in writing, that is how we get our practice in.”

We also fervently support the work of our staff writers and photographers. Despite the conflicts or learning experiences that we deal with as editors, students who write for The Herald keep our voices alive and accessible with their writing. Although the editors are often the figureheads or most noticeable faces the newspaper, we would not survive without the dedication of our staff writers.

“The Herald is meant to inform students and staff on campus,” Your News editor Katherine Wisen said, “but it is also a way for students to prepare for the future.” Wisen said that writing for The Herald allows students to gain experience and build a portfolio for a future job.

Even if readers do not understand the nature and process of creating The Herald, please understand that it is often an extracurricular activity. Many students are taking on extra work and putting in additional hours to bring original stories, reviews, and photographs to Cornerstone’s campus.

When a fellow student is making a humorous scene in a lounge by trash talking an article, person or the entire Herald newspaper and then cramming the publication into the trash, remember the purpose and history of our paper. We have come a long way over the years and are always seeking to improve as new students flow through Herald editorial and writing positions.

Many people provide positive feedback and compliments to our different writers and staff. And to them, we thank you. Thank you also for taking the time to read our publication and support students’ voices on campus. It is for you, and class credit, that we write.