Running List: 2015 in Bylines

First: I know I missed the traditional deadline for year’s end recaps and rankings. That was December, and now we’ve moved onto the future-focused realm of January. But I didn’t realize I wanted to try this until after that window closed, and I figured there’s got to be a bit of a buffer here, so: this belated list.

I’ve read a lot of writers’ end-of-year lists in the last few weeks. There’s the obvious, of course: these lists have some fantastic writing on them. But the writing isn’t what draws me to these lists, not really. It’s the writing about the writing. I love the peek behind the curtain, seeing how writers view their own work. Not just “what did they write?” but “how did they write, why did they write, how did they get here?”

It wasn’t until I’d gone through dozens of these lists that I considered, maybe, doing one for myself. At first, I thought it was ridiculous, even to make one privately — what would I even put on such a list, I’m not important enough, it’s too narcissistic an exercise for me, etc. Mostly, though, I was frustrated at what I saw when I tried to look back. There were so many things I wanted to write this year that I just didn’t. I had told myself I was going to do writing outside of traditional reporting, that I was going to start submitting freelance work, that (most of all) I was finally going to write about baseball. These were things I tossed around extensively in the abstract, and I have the cluttered notes app on my phone to prove it. But I didn’t do any of them.

I want to do these things this year, and I’m already trying to start. But to view 2015 only through what I didn’t write isn’t quite fair — not to myself and not to all that I did write. This is self-indulgent, sure, but it was a (mostly) good year and I wrote some things I’m proud of, and I think there’s something to be said for pausing to take stock of that and being brave (and/or self-centered) enough to do it publicly.

At Duke, I finished a grueling and exhilarating year as news editor of The Chronicle in the spring, and I got reacquainted with having a life outside of 3 AM layout edits in the fall. I spent the summer in Washington, where I was lucky enough to have an internship that left me consistently awestruck and gave me opportunities like a Congressional press pass and a seat at a White House Press Briefing (where I was caught with this side-eye glare on C-SPAN, which is maybe the best thing I did all year).

And along with all the things I regret not writing, I wrote a number of things I liked. I recently had a long talk with one of my favorite editors, and he said he keeps a running list of the best stories he’s worked on. His goal is to knock one or two off the list each year with new additions. So, yes, there’s a lot that I want to add to my list in 2016 — but I had a few additions in 2015, too.

“You went back with a kid I know, you’re screwed” (New details emerge in Duke ADPhi sexual assault claim, The Chronicle, January 30). Covering campus sexual assault is difficult, but there’s something especially difficult about covering it as a student reporter. Being inextricably embedded in the community you’re writing about is complicated—i.e., knowing the names of every student involved in a high-profile case while the campus buzzes with who’s who rumors. The details of this story were not easy.

Asking tough questions — (Rasheed Sulaimon at center of sexual assault allegations prior to dismissal, The Chronicle, March 2nd). Again, campus sexual assault: tricky. As a student reporter, more so, and when Duke basketball is involved, infinitely more so. By far the biggest and most complex story I’ve ever worked on.

Hola, Miami — (Colleges see opportunity in U.S.-Cuba opening, but treading carefully, A1, The Miami Herald [& other McClatchy papers], June 24). My opening weeks in D.C. were kind of overwhelming — fun, but a little terrifying — and this was the first enterprise piece I pitched. I’ve long been into higher ed policy, so having the access to cover that from different angles this summer was fantastic. It’s been a while since I’ve been thrilled by seeing my name in print (~internet age~ and all), but the front page of the Miami Herald was pretty damn cool. As was seeing it translated into Spanish for El Nuevo Herald (I say “seeing” and not “reading” because my Spanish is extremely limited, but Google Translate indicates that the story is more or less the same, so that’s nice).

Getting kicked out of a neoconfederate children’s conference — (Confronting myths about the cause of the Civil War, McClatchy papers, July 17). Definitely did not think attending a Children of the Confederacy conference in rural Virginia would be part of my summer. Interesting, horrifying, bizarre.

Reddit’s front page— (Under siege, for-profit colleges cry foul over new federal rules, The Sacramento Bee [& other McClatchy papers], August 11). More higher ed policy! There were so many moving pieces to this one—I talked to senators from both sides of the aisle, education experts, students at for-profit colleges, the colleges themselves—and I was happy to see it come together after weeks of work. And was v. surprised to see it on Reddit’s home page.

Cold calling Richard Nixon’s brother — (Duke and Tricky Dick, Towerview Magazine, September 24). I found Richard Nixon’s portrait in the stacks of Duke’s law school library when I was a sophomore, and I’ve been weirdly captivated by his relationship with the university ever since. In my spare time as a junior, I went through all of the Nixon papers in the Duke archives (a totally normal activity that I’m sure most students do) and was really intrigued by how close the campus came to housing his presidential library. It’s an interesting question on its own — does preserving the presidency for historical value necessarily have to mean memorializing the president himself? — and when you throw in the faculty politics and Nixon’s complicated history with the university, the story only gets better. So I’d been considering writing about Nixon for a while when I finally nailed down an angle this September. But my favorite part of the reporting process was something I didn’t expect. I noticed Nixon’s youngest brother was still alive— and a Duke alum—and listed in the phone book. And when I gave him a call, he picked up and talked to me. His perspective on Nixon is obviously unique, and it was fascinating to hear the president described outside of his politics.

Trying out a new press box — (Duke baseball leads Virginia Tech after game suspended due to rain, The Chronicle, April 26). Closing out the list with something that’s not as high-profile as the others, but personally, it felt big. As a freshman, I thought I would do sports writing for The Chron — but being one of the only girls in the room made me nervous, and I ended up with the news department instead. I fell in love with news more or less right away, but I’ve always wished I’d been brave enough at least to give sports a try. So this spring, I finally did. The game wasn’t important, it was during finals week, and they didn’t even finish (rain), but it was still exhilarating. And terrifying! Which I knew was irrational — I knew covering my first game wasn’t so different from covering my first school board meeting or student government election; I knew that I’ve watched thousands (tens of thousands?) of baseball games and know far more about baseball than I do most things I cover (everything I cover?). But I was petrified someone would find out that, I don’t know, I have a hard time recognizing pitches, and then it would all be over. So big picture, this story wasn’t important. But getting over the ridiculous fears that held me back from covering something I love — yeah, that felt kind of important, in the small personal way that this whole list is important to me and no one else, which is all that really matters. (And also: no one can tell any pitch type from the weird angle of the press box.)