In later life, birthdays are mostly for forgetting, except maybe significantly numbered ones. When one is on the short end of time, who needs a reminder? But when one is at the other end, believing they are immortal, birthdays are more a harbinger of what lies ahead rather than an echo of all that is behind.
Evanston’s RoundTable turned 10 this month, a marker every kid looks at wide-eyed because, hey, they have arrived at double digits! Ten, as many parents know, is a turning point, subtle though it may be, in a child’s growth. Their once cute “Whys?” begin to become “Why nots?” and their world begins to widen incrementally.
Newspapers are different; at least I know the RoundTable is. It was born with “Why not?” as its vision and in a very definite world – Evanston. Year by year it struggled in its growing but never wavered in its vision to give a different voice to a community proud of its diversity and social consciousness. By this, its tenth year, the RoundTable has established a welcomed presence in Evanston, deserving to be celebrated for many reasons.
Ten candles on the cake, spelling out its name, pinpoint only some of them:
R – responsible, respectful, responsive,
O – objective, open to opinions other than its own
U – unhesitant to “tell it like it is”
N – nervy, newsy, neighborly
D – dedicated, detailed, down-to-earth and … delivered
T – topical, timely and thorough
A – attentive, accurate, attuned to truth
B – bold, balanced and sometimes brassy
L – level-headed and leveling
E – earnest, edgy, ethical
Obviously and unfortunately, there is no “C” in RoundTable. But every reader cannot miss the care, concern and commitment of its editors, writers and staff. Believing that the paper’s voice is not its own but all of Evanston’s, from day one everyone involved has held themselves accountable to bettering the community’s life on all levels: government, business, social and personal. “Why not?” remains at the heart of their vision.
Newspapers may be different from kids, but like any 10-year-old, the RoundTable counts the candles on the cake, makes a wish and gets on with becoming 11.