5Q with the HQ: Production Manager Phoebe Lee
This interview is with Phoebe Lee who will be our Production Manager! Phoebe is a junior currently studying Policy Analysis and Management in the College of Human Ecology. Read her latest article, “The Fault in The Fault In Our Stars,” in our Fall 2018 issue!
Zachary Lee (Z): Congratulations on the new positions! You came faithfully and participated in our meetings last year, and we’re so happy to have you on the team! What excites you most about your role? What are some trepidations?
Phoebe Lee (P): I think I’m really excited to get a view of the other side of production! Last semester, as a writer, I got to experience one part of publication, but this year, as production manager, I get to see the other parts of making the magazine. One of my biggest trepidations is that I won’t be good at being production manager. Even though there are so many people to help me, I think this is something that I really want to grow in, so instead of being dependent on others, I want to challenge myself as much as possible. But the fear that I may not be good enough or as good as the previous PM is very evident.
Z: What made you want to take this role?
P: I enjoyed the writing process, but it’s the nitty gritty details that I really love. So to be involved in Claritas, yet still get to delve into small, important responsibilities is something that made a lot of sense to me. That, coupled with the fact that there was an opening, was the primary reason I was interested in the position.
Z: I really enjoy the theme for this upcoming issue; the act of consuming is so normalized that people rarely consider the effects, sometimes negative, of not controlling one’s appetite. How do you think Claritas can uniquely contribute to this conversation? Why does Claritas’ presence on campus become more important now than ever?
P: I think that in consumption, we’re always told that there’s a solution. And though that’s true, I don’t think that many people consider God to be the solution for everything. I don’t want to sum up God or portray Him as nothing more than a panacea for all our problems, but I think that we get so caught up in the world (hence, consumption in the world’s possessions) that we don’t realize that the best way for us to end this destructive pattern really is through Him.
Z: What are some visions that you have for producing magazines in the future if money was no object?
P: Make more copies each semester, hold more launch parties (with free food, because everyone likes free food), maybe some giveaways for readers (so they could get a magazine with something else!). I think that for me, I want to see Claritas grow in the next few years, and though we’re still trying to figure out how to increase exposure throughout campus, I think that communicating with Cornell students and faculty and really putting ourselves out there would be the best way to do so. I would love for there to be more writers, more readers, more editors, just really for us to grow in all possible ways!
Z: Okay last one: if you had a whole 24 hours of free time, what would you do with it?
P: Rest. Life gets pretty busy and a lot of the time, I think I need a breather. So if I had 24 hours of free time, I would rest up. That could be different depending on the day or whatever mood I’m in (such as whether I’d want to read a book or watch a movie--actually, why not both?), but definitely to get more rest.