When students reached for copies of The Collegian at lunch last Thursday, they grabbed nothing but air. A power outage at our printer led to a late delivery, and the 22nd edition arrived on campus shortly before dinner.

Despite the delayed release, our good name still stands, as we have not failed to deliver a paper to campus on a Thursday in recent memory. The Collegian has taught its writers and editors what it means to meet a deadline. Students are not just learning journalistic skills at the paper; they are learning what it means to be reliable. 

It’s easy to forget when you pick up a paper that you’re reading hours and hours of people’s time — time spent interviewing, writing, editing, and designing the paper. Against all odds, amid bad weather, busy weeks, and big life changes, The Collegian staff delivers papers on Thursdays by lunchtime, barring factors like power outages that are outside of human control. It is worth mentioning that the printing staff did an excellent job of getting the papers to campus much sooner than expected, demonstrating their own commitment to timeliness.

It is all too easy to not show up to an event on time, beg for an extension on a paper, or submit an assignment late when you don’t have an editorial staff waiting on you to do your part and a readership waiting to see your product. Students who continuously struggle with time management gradually lose the trust of their peers and professors. Then, when a genuine disruption does appear, people will be less likely to extend them much-needed grace — the kind we needed last week.

So turn that assignment in on time, even if you know the professor will give you an extension. The habit of timeliness will pay off when power outages or family emergencies make you incapable of fulfilling duties. Life happens, so start being reliable now.