Even though the editors of The Carroll News work hard in the newsroom week after week (including nights that have gone as late as 6:00 am!), the rest of campus doesn’t get to see their work until the paper comes out on Thursday. Ever wonder who makes it all happen? That would be Editor-in-Chief Zach Mentz.
The senior communications major has been working towards this position since his freshman year here at John Carroll University, although he says that being elected editor-in-chief was a surprise. Mentz started working on the paper his freshman year as staff writer for the sports section. “I mainly covered volleyball,” he said, “but I knew nothing about volleyball. Now I know a little.”
By the end of his freshman year, The Carroll News needed a new sports editor. Mentz got the position as section editor for the sports page, and held that position until this past spring, when he became editor-in-chief.Â
It’s not just that Mentz has been writing for the school newspaper since freshman year – he had an idea that journalism was something to pursue from the time that he was in high school. As a sophomore, he took a journalism class as an elective, and by his senior year was editor-in-chief of his high school’s newspaper. He doesn’t take all the credit for being interested in journalism, though. In fact, he said that “My mom pushed me towards it. She always said that I was a good writer. I’m glad I listened to her that time.”
Although being editor-in-chief has caused “a lot of lost sleep and missed assignments,” Mentz says, he’s also learned a lot from the experience. Attention to detail, and learning to work on a deadline, he said, are two of the most important things he’s learned, because “There’s no way you can put a newspaper together without that.”Â
Mentz also said that besides those two things, the experience has also taught him how to be committed to things. “When you stay dedicated to something and you know the right people, you can get somewhere,” he said.
He also said that being editor-in-chief has taught him a lot about responsibility. Because he hears a lot of the major news on campus before anyone else, he has to figure out how to put the “Five Ws” – who, what, where, when, why – into story form. Mentz said that a lot of the responsibility comes when he becomes the medium between the administration or other groups on campus and the rest of the community, especially because not only does the news have to be reported, but it has to be made clear why it is important.
When he’s not spending his time in the newsroom, Mentz is also involved in the Sports Information Department, where he helps to broadcast games and keep track of statistics.
Mentz also said that even though he’s a senior, he doesn’t really have a career path in mind. He said that he doesn’t really know where he’ll end up, but he hopes at some point to “cover sports for free in warm weather.”
Mentz was pleased when he was chosen to be this week’s Campus Celebrity. “It’s an honor, it really is,” he said, “Usually I’m the one doing the interviewing. It’s fun to be on the other side.”
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