My newspaper story begins with a vector graphic of a pizza.
During COVID-19, I struggled to find what extracurricular activities stuck. I’ve lost track of the countless Zoom club calls where my cursor hovered over the “Leave Meeting” button. That is, until I took Ezine.
I remember being an anxious freshman, wanting to get teacher approval on EVERY assignment I turned in before submission. While it irritated my teachers, it comforted me. One of my first assignments in Ezine was to make a vector graphic of a pizza with the shape tool using polygons. I, not having paid attention to the guidelines, drew it by hand with a tablet. To soothe my perfectionistic anxiety, I asked Mr. Garcia to give me feedback on my pizza graphic during office hours. It was a slice of pizza (with some serious cheese pull) and beside it were the words “A slice my good sir?” written in gothic font.
The first thing he said was “You didn’t follow the directions at all.”
My stomach dropped.
“—but it looks great. You belong with The Liberator.”
For the first time in my academic career, not listening to instructions had benefited me. I joined the newspaper club in search of what other rules could be broken and while my role at The Liberator has changed throughout the years, my tendency to not follow directions has remained constant. The expectation to only use vector graphics was rendered obsolete by my junior year after I consistently submitted raster images from Procreate. (Some call it an act of defiance but I call it aesthetic advocacy). The rise of “Nitti Typewriter” as a common Liberator font followed suit. I got into photography which pushed me to break rules in an entirely different way. I dared to trespass over the white line on the football field, risking personal injury for the sake of a photo op.
Being on The Liberator these past four years has helped me break the perfectionistic barrier that once stopped me from exploring new things. It has not only inspired me creatively but it has given me a safe space. Whether it’s letting the Late Night hysteria of walking through SXSW get to me or accidentally devouring Sarah’s lettuce-wrapped burger (as a vegetarian), I’ve gotten to witness a bond so unlike any other that newspaper kids share. They inspire me everyday to push the boundaries of my work and support me when I inevitably fall short. With my whole heart, I cherish the words that only we read, the jokes that only we laugh at, and the comically unique frustrations only we share.
As I end my time with my Liberator, I’m leaving behind graphics and photos but carrying forward the courage to break the rules.
