Capturing the Zeitgeist of PUC: The C2 Motto and Why YOU Matter

Posted on 24. Sep, 2009 by Peter Katz in Editorial

When our online editor, Jonathan Pichot, suggested our motto, we were all confused, to say the least. Some of us thought he was just making up words, but he was incredulous and insistent. He looked it up just to prove to us that it was a real word, and its definition was, in a word, perfect. “To capture the zeitgeist of PUC,” for those of you who don’t speak German, means to capture the essence, the true spirit, the very nature of what it is to be PUC. And that is our motto. The C² is the medium through which the essence of PUC will be articulated, examined, questioned, defined. It is an essence that stands the test of time, yet shifts with every incoming freshman class. We want to explore the core of the culture that is PUC.

And we cannot do that without you. The line between our staff writers is the line between socialism and anarchy: we either have no staff writers, only people who write for us, or all of you are our staff. You pick; the outcome is the same. The C² staff is a team of people whose job it is not to write, but to find writers, not to define, but to be the conduit for your own definition.

Certainly, we will be asking specifically for some articles, and we may even have specific people in mind. But the seven of us alone can hardly account for the zeitgeist of a school of over one-thousand. The “PUC culture” is a multifarious culture built of myriad subcultures. Does PUC not hear your culture’s voice, or not hear it loud enough?  Speak up!  Send us an article.

The process is simple. You want to write about something? Do it. Then send it in. Or talk to us, then do it, then send it in. We have no pet writers, no people whom we publish every time simply because they are our “staff writers.” You want to critique a movie made in Fisher Hall? Do it. You want to write an investigative piece about the presence or non-presence of X on campus? Do it. You wrote a great piece on anything, something academic, something silly, something somewhere between, and you want to see it printed? Send it.

Here is the logistical breakdown. You have an idea. You contact Peter, Craig, Melissa, or Erika via our emails or in person, and talk to us about your idea. We almost invariably give you the thumbs up, and you send us a draft. We work it over, rinse and repeat, and viola. You’re a staff writer.  For that issue. Enjoyed it? Do it again. It’s that simple.

Want to write, but not sure about what? We’ll be sending out emails, using the BigScreen in the caf’, and advertising in the back of every C² for ideas we’ve had, or articles we’d like to see in the next issue. Or stop by the office from 1:00pm-5:00pm Tuesdays and Thursdays; if those times don’t work for you, email, and we’ll figure out a good time to meet. Not to mention our open planning sessions, which we will announce via BigScreen and announce emails.

Want to write, but you’re not sure if we’ll take it? Of course we will. Perhaps with some work, but good news: most of the staff members are English majors. That means we were born with a condition that makes us actually enjoy working with words, and helping other people learn to write. It’s tragic, and we’re trying to get over it, but until then—take advantage. Nobody starts out at New York Times quality, and none of us on the staff are there yet, so you shouldn’t have to be. Just like the culture of PUC grows, so too do writers. If you want to write, we’ll make it happen.

If it’s not clear yet, we’ll repeat what we said at the end of last year: we want you to write. This is your school, your paper, your zeitgeist.  Let it be known.