Name: Mary Bordonaro
Major: English (creative writing track)
Hometown: Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
Why did you want to become the editor-in-chief of the Roddey McMillan Record?
The RMR is a very special place for me. I wanted to become the editor-in-chief because the previous editor (Kiara Smith) helped me grow as a writer and as an editor in the past year, and I wanted to be able to help other writers and editors reach their full potential. The RMR is an amazing publication, and I applied for this position because I believe that I can help the RMR to grow and expand and become an influential part of the Winthrop community and the Rock Hill area.
What was the hiring process like?
To be hired as the editor-in-chief, I had to fill out an application and then have an interview with the Winthrop University Board of Publications. The editors of the RMR and The Johnsonian were there, as well as Dean Bethany Marlowe and several mass communication professors. There must have been ten other people in the room, and they all took turns asking me questions about my experiences with the RMR and my ideas for the future. I’m not going to lie, it was TERRIFYING. There was a lot of pressure, but everyone in the room was very supportive, and Kiara helped me a lot after I was hired by training me.
When did you start writing for the RMR?
I started working for the RMR in January 2015 (the spring semester of my freshman year). I was in Starbucks one day and I saw a flyer that said the RMR was looking for a copy editor. I actually had to Google what that was before I went into the interview, because I had no experience with journalism or mass comm or anything like that. Kiara, for some crazy reason, gave me the job, and I spent a long time trying to learn AP style. My job was to proofread and edit all of the articles before we went to press every month. I started writing some articles that semester. This past fall, I was promoted to the news editor, and now I am EIC. I still have a hard time believing that just a year ago, I didn’t even know what a copy editor was. :)
How do you plan to improve the RMR during your time as editor-in-chief?
I’m working closely with my managing editor and Dean Marlowe to get our website up. As a monthly publication, there is a constant struggle to stay current, so I would like for us to be posting articles online throughout the month. The RMR won an award at the South Carolina Press Association Conference last year for our ‘specialty issues’. What we do is we pick a theme for each print issue, and center most of our articles around that theme (i.e. the Women’s Issue, the Paris Issue, the Integration of Winthrop Issue, the Disabilities Issue, etc). It is something that I think that we are very good at, and I would love to see us win another award this year. I’d also like to work more closely with The Johnsonian and other campus publications
What has been the hardest part of your job so far? And the easiest?
I think that the budget and the hiring of new editors have been the hardest parts of my job, mostly because I barely see myself as an adult, let alone a PROFESSIONAL, so trying to create a new budget and hire four new editors was a bit of a shock to the system. I’m not used to being in charge, so I had to really work on staying confident and positive and try not to stress over the little things. The past few weeks have been filled with a lot of paperwork, meetings, and general housekeeping, but now that it’s over, I can start to work on the writing and on the paper itself, which is the best part of the job.
What is something that your staff doesn’t know about you?
This was the hardest question for me to answer… It took me forever to think of something interesting. The only thing I can think of is that I have two tattoos: one on my wrist that says “courage”, and a bigger one on my ribs of the sun that says “Here comes the sun.” I plan on getting many, many more (I think I may have an addiction!) That’s the only weird thing I can think of…
What qualities do you think a successful paper needs to have?
I think that as long as everyone on the RMR staff works together to make a paper that tells the truth, and tells it well, then I think we will be a success. The free press is such an important part of our society, and if the RMR strives to be a respectful, honest, and eloquent source of news, then we are doing something right. My job is to facilitate. If I walk around giving orders and dictating everything, then the paper is just a reflection of me and my beliefs. In my opinion, what makes a good paper is cooperation among the staff, and a commitment to the Winthrop community.
What is your favorite movie and why?
My favorite movie tends to change depending on the day! Lots of my favorite movies have music in them (I sing along, so be careful if you watch a movie with me). I think for the past few months, my favorite movie has been Mulan. It has been a huge source of inspiration for me throughout the years, because it taught me to go beyond what is expected of me, and to always stand up for what is right. I think Mulan is such a strong role model for women (whether you are 5 or 55) because she wasn’t a princess or anything, she was just a normal girl living in a man’s world, and she worked hard for everything she had. Also, the songs are super catchy and they get stuck in my head for days… Let’s get down to business! To defeat the Huns!
How did you decide on Winthrop?
To be honest, Winthrop is the only school I applied to. I came here to take a tour during my senior year of high school, and I instantly knew that it was different then all of the other schools I had toured. The campus had… good vibes, I guess. I could just tell that this was where I was supposed to be, and I will never regret coming here.
When did you decide that you wanted to become an editor/writer?
I have always loved to write. I am doing the creative writing track in the English major, and my goal is to get a Masters in Fine Arts in Creative Writing once I am done with my undergrad. So, I can write essays, research papers, poems, and short stories, but I wanted to get as much experience with different types of writing as I possibly could. I don’t know if I will ever work for a newspaper or magazine outside of the RMR, but being a writer and editor has helped me learn all sorts of amazing things that I wouldn’t have learned in my English classes. After my first semester as a copy editor, I wanted to learn more, and I loved the atmosphere at the RMR and what we stand for. I have been blessed with so many opportunities in the past year to grow as a writer, an editor, a leader and a woman.