The award-winning student newspaper of IVCC, the IV Leader, aids in providing news and entertainment for the students, staff, and faculty. However, not everyone at this school may be aware of the IV Leader’s editor Sydney Johnson, the brain behind it all.  

Throughout the day, people will come in and out of the IV Leader office, whether they be faculty, friends, or staff members. A typical day for Johnson includes going to class, doing homework, laughing with friends, and working on the paper.  

During Johnson’s first year at IVCC, she took journalism classes taught by Lori Cinotte. She says she took these classes, “Because I had my major as communications and english and I couldn’t decide between the two, so I took a literature class and the mass media class. And I vastly preferred the mass media class. 

“Fun fact,” Johnson says, “When I was younger and in high school I thought like journalism and being on a newspaper would be awful and something I never wanted to do. But now I love it.” 

Johnson said a friend was instrumental in her becoming editor of the paper. 

“Well, to be quite honest, my friend convinced me to be on the paper and I was too shy to refuse. So I was on the paper, and then I was the culture co-editor, and then I became the editor when she left.” 

Johnson then explained her favorite parts about journalism and writing for IV Leader. 

“I really like being able to meet new people,” she says. “Like, all of my college friends have come from the paper, and it’s fun being in a group like this. 

“And another part I really like is that every time we do a paper it’s something I can physically hold in my hand. It’s like, I made this, we made this. It’s really nice to have something to show your efforts.” 

However, the job of editor does have its cons.  

Johnson says, “The hardest part is probably…making sure everything is done. Making sure we have all the things, making sure layout gets done in time.” 

Johnson went on to explain why she thought her job and the subject of journalism was important. 

“It’s very important to know what’s going on in the world right now,” she says. “And that’s with the world at large and your immediate surroundings. 

“I know a lot of people who are like, ‘I don’t know what’s going on right now’. And if you don’t know what’s going on you don’t know what might affect you or what affects other people.” 

Next year, Johnson plans to transfer to Illinois State University to continue her education.  

In regards to what she wants for her future career, Johnson says, “I really don’t know. I’ve never really given it a whole lot of thought. I’ve never had, like, a childhood dream because I never thought that far into the future.” 

Johnson shared some crucial advice that she has for those wishing to study journalism or work in a journalism field.  

“Talk to people. Try to get out there. Try to report on different events. I know even at the college there’s a lot of events that go on in the college that are really interesting and newsworthy.  

“And if you wanna, like, be a reporter it’s important to write a lot…Basically with anything it’s just practicing. Because when I first started writing articles, they weren’t very good…If I were to go back and edit them now with what I know now I would rip them apart honestly.” 

Sydney Johnson, editor of the IV Leader, carries the role of informing and entertaining the students, faculty, and staff of IVCC. She believes it is vital for members of a community to know what is happening within their society, and her job to make sure that that happens.