Working at The Uniter can sometimes be a scheduling nightmare. As a weekly campus newspaper, we have a bit of an odd production cycle: we pitch our stories two weeks in advance and submit copy one week before the issue hits stands. Thus, as Uniter staff, we need to keep our heads in the present, a week in the future and two weeks in the future, simultaneously.

That might sound ridiculously complicated. Well, guess what? It is! It’s the kind of work calendar that could do a number on the psyche of even the coldest, steeliest reporter. And, since we’re the kind of staff who tends to share photos of our cats, it’s probably safe to say we don’t exactly qualify as “steely.”

To maintain such a labyrinthine schedule, a certain degree of organization is required. That’s where our day planners come in. Whether it’s a well-maintained calendar, a sloppy notebook or a tornado of paper scraps and Post-it Notes, every Uniter reporter uses some physical object or another to make sure our readers get the information they need.

So, for our online exclusive edition of Whose House, we offer a glimpse into the making of your weekly paper, by way of our planners.

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Anastasia Chipelski 

Managing Editor

"To keep the various sections of my life organized, I sort my to-dos into three columns: work-related stuff, appointments and social events and a general to-do list. Later on in the planner, I make lists upon lists upon lists to elaborate, but here I just see the shape of the week at a glance."

Bryce Creasy

Creative Director

“I mostly just keep a running to-do list. Here's my list at the moment!”

Danielle Doiron

Copy and Style Editor

“On Wednesdays, we have waffles. But every morning, I write out a new to-do list on my big, yellow legal pad, and then I write another one in the afternoon, and then sometimes again in the evening. Just try to read my teeny, tiny writing. I dare you.”

Alana Trachenko

City Editor

“My planner is my bible. I make my own schedule and without my planner, I wouldn't know what to do after walking out my front door. It helps to write things down, too. If I put it in my phone, I will forget about it, guaranteed.”

Meg Crane

Arts and Culture Editor

“I have two daytimers: one for work and one for my personal life. The work one tends to get a little overwhelming, so it's nice to have something cleaner to look at during my off-time.”

Tim Runtz

Comments Editor

“I acquired a few dozen notepads when my grandparents were downsizing, and I use them to make a lot of lists. I also have a Tiny Feast day planner that’s nice, because the dates aren't pre-printed, so if I forget to use it for a week, I haven’t wasted any pages.”

Stephanie Berrington

Volunteer Coordinator

"Most of these entries are film festival submission deadlines, because my day job is in film distribution. The date with the heart is my birthday."

Thomas Pashko

Features reporter

“I’m very disorganized, so my notebook follows a stream of consciousness rather than any kind of calendar or schedule. I tend to compulsively doodle and make lists, probably out of anxiety.”

Melanie Dahling

Arts and Culture Reporter

“I ordered myself this agenda from Valfre, because I wanted to make having a busy schedule fun! Greasy phone, piles of emails, piles of laundry, that about says it. I don't necessarily stay organized, but I definitely have a good handle on my mess cycles.”

Talula Schlegel

News Reporter

“To help me concentrate in meetings and balance my brain thoughts/notes, I also draw in my planner.”

Justin Luchinski

Campus Reporter

“I mostly write in my day planner to calm my nerves. I do use it to plan for things, but mostly I just write little illegible notes in it to retain my sanity.”

Callie Morris

Staff Photographer

“Here's my darkroom logbook. I write how many rolls of film I have to develop in it, what kind of of film it is and who it belongs to.”

Published in Volume 71, Number 21 of The Uniter (February 22, 2017)