Being a student journalist has its pros and cons, but one thing that really bugs us here at The Knight is the double standard to which we are often subject.

Our work at The Knight is supposed to reflect that of a real newspaper – we are gaining experience here that we are all going to put to use, in one fashion or another, in our careers.

But it can be difficult to work as if we’re an actual newspaper – which to some degree we are, or else you wouldn’t be reading this – when we aren’t always treated like one by the sources we go to for stories.

Many times we get blown off for interviews because we’re “only students;” in other words, giving us an interview doesn’t benefit the source – he or she has better things to do than talk to an amateur reporter.

That’s all fine and dandy, but what about us? How do we learn, like we’re supposed to, if we’re getting blown off by the only people who can help us?

Other times we get reprimanded for timing – we’re told we shouldn’t contact sources on Monday or, heaven forbid, Tuesday for the Wednesday paper.

But stories aren’t always planned in advance. When news happens, we have to jump on it. That’s the trick of the trade.

Speaking of timing, what many people forget about The Knight staff is that we have classes to go to, too. And many of us have part-time jobs.

The Knight isn’t our only obligation, and although it’s the top priority for many of us, sometimes we can’t get it all done before the weekend.

We sacrifice far more than our Tuesday nights to ensure you are getting the best paper we can create.

So bear with us when it seems like we’ve bitten off more than we can chew. We’re doing our best to juggle The Knight with our classes and everything else we have to do.

In return, all we ask is to be treated like the pros. After all, that’s what we’re going to be someday soon.