The BG News November 23, 2020
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Bowling Green State University ScholarWorks@BGSU BG News (Student Newspaper) University Publications 11-23-2020 The BG News November 23, 2020 Bowling Green State University Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.bgsu.edu/bg-news Recommended Citation State University, Bowling Green, "The BG News November 23, 2020" (2020). BG News (Student Newspaper). 9150. https://scholarworks.bgsu.edu/bg-news/9150 This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License. This Book is brought to you for free and open access by the University Publications at ScholarWorks@BGSU. It has been accepted for inclusion in BG News (Student Newspaper) by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks@BGSU. Bob Bortel bg The man, the myth, the legend | Page 2 news An independent student press serving the campus and surrounding community, ESTABLISHED 1920 Bowling Green State University Monday, November 23, 2020 Volume 100, Issue 15 Editors’ Picks: 2020 movies, TV shows, albums, songs Page 4 Week 3 MAC games overview Page 6 BGSU looks to replace Dunkin’ Page 8 BG NEWS November 23, 2020 | PAGE 2 Director of Student Media, Bob Bortel Leaves a lasting 40-year legacy Megan Finke | City Editor On Nov. 30, Robert Bortel is set to retire, “I can appreciate the number, the has so many relationships on campus “It’s honestly hard to imagine The BG leaving a lasting legacy on more than 5,000 amount of time he worked in university and within the community,” Stewart said. News and its newsroom without Bob. students through various forms of student administration, and the amount of time “Bob’s longevity really has provided an Though it’s a news operation that is student- media and publication. he worked at the university. That’s pretty environment where student journalists led, I always felt like Bob was the glue that His key to success is, “just understanding much unheard of anymore,” Estep said. can continually learn and I think someone held everything together,” Neese said. students and understanding the rhythms of “That in itself is quite an accomplishment new coming in . it takes time to establish “He’s the exact kind of person an aspiring what they’re doing, but understanding good and to have been so well respected over those relations.” journalist needs by their side; friendly and journalism and then trying to bring people those years.” Stewart is one of many that can say nurturing, but also very knowledgeable and in and listen to the students,” he said. Bortel’s passion for The BG News doesn’t they have held onto their friendship with constructive in his criticism.” According to Bortel, understanding each stop with alumni outreach, his retirement Bortel after leaving BGSU. He says Bortel Neese says one of the most important generation and its changes is crucial in letter stated, “. my retirement will create taught him responsibility in no way he had things Bortel taught her is that there was order for students to see the possibilities savings that will benefit the University experienced before. always room for improvement, meaning no that lie ahead. Over the past 39 years, as it strategically reimagines how BG “He lets you know that as a student news story is perfect. The use of a red pen students have become lifelong friends. Falcon Media operates and best serves our editor, you had responsibility. And you had is something only students of Bortel’s would 2013-14 BG News Editor-in-Chief Danae students.” authority, you could make decisions. But understand. King has a memorable relationship with Financially, he always put forth effort to here’s the thing, if you made a decision “Bob made that clear every time he edited Bortel, including advice that she uses while help The BG News grow even when it came that cut corners, or otherwise fell short, our newspapers with his now-infamous writing stories today. at a personal expense. somehow that decision was going to be red pen. Sometimes it looked like the pages “He told me he wants me to write a news “There’s been fundamental macro called out,” Stewart said. “And that trust were bleeding. But his feedback always had lead as if you’re telling your best friend what challenges starting out to try and bring is the most important asset that any news us thinking about how to do better next the story is about,” King said. “So, I always financial solvency and put student media on organization has.” time,” Neese said. think about that.” sound footing,” Bortel said. “And we never 1988-89 editor of The Obsidian, BGSU’s The red pen is something Bortel uses Their relationship grew when King started ever got a cent from the university. For over multicultural student publication, during one-on-one meetings with his working for The BG News as a first-year 20 some years, we made all our own money, Jared Wadley tried to emulate the same students. Sometimes the pen could be student and her student media involvement I paid for all the salaries, the printing and we responsibility and leadership Stewart saw seen as harsh criticism; but looking back, grew from reporter to editor-in-chief. spent everything.” in Bortel. students are grateful for it. Now, as an alumna, she considers Bortel a Bortel has established an everlasting Wadley considers his career successful “He would edit the papers with a red pen friend. “It’s weird, not in a bad way. I kind of legacy through his years on campus and due, in part, to Bortel. Wadley is currently and go over individual articles. And he’d always felt like we were friends when he was while Estep has watched him lead numerous the senior public relations representative sit down with me one-on-one and explain the student news advisor,” King said. “But students, he still finds himself impressed at the University of Michigan. the different ways I could have written an now I’m not a student anymore. So it’s kind with his longtime friend. “I wouldn’t have made it to this career article to make it better, and put red notes of nice, because I feel like we can relate over “The thing that has always impressed point without Bob’s help and sage advice as in the margins, and then he gives you the more things.” me is that journalism always came first a mentor,” he said. paper,” King said. “ . it was really odd at Teaching was always something with him,” Estep said. “And no matter how 2011 BG News copy editor and reporter, the different ways that he had thought up to Bortel excelled at, as he had a way of controversial a story may have been on Alissa Wildman Neese says The BG News is approach a story that I hadn’t.” communicating with students that would campus, and how much pressure he may lucky to have someone like Bortel. King says at the end of the day, Bortel stick with them. have been getting from the administration helped her to get where she is in her career. “What he taught me is just how to be a or from other areas of campus to not run a “It’s honestly hard to “He perfectly summed up why I wanted to, good journalist. And I think that a big part story, he always stood up for the ideals of and why I want to, be a journalist, which of our job is really public-facing in what a student journalism.” imagine The BG News is to educate people, to do good. and be lot of journalists do,” King said. “Especially With the support and respect from a public service and to be a watchdog of as editors, but also as reporters, is to explain alums, Bortel’s retirement poses questions and its newsroom without authority,” King said. their role to the public in their sources. And for the future. Estep asked, “What are the Bob. Though it’s a news Bortel says he never expected to be at that’s really what he taught me to do.” journalism department’s plans to replace BGSU for as long as he has, but ultimately Bortel keeps close ties with alumni as Bob? I think those are questions that need to operation that is student- he accomplished what he first dreamt of they share their love for what is now Falcon be asked,” Estep said. when going to college. Media. Alumni outreach is important to Former BG News staff member Mizell led, I always felt like Bob “My initial idea of going to school was him because those are the people who he Stewart III acknowledges the loss that I was going to own my own newspaper, watched grow. With this, Bortel co-founded the community as a whole will face upon was the glue that held run my own newspaper,” Bortel said. “In the BG News Alumni Society with 1977 Bortel’s retirement. essence, I do, but in an academic setting, so everything together.” n graduate Bill Estep. “Just that institutional knowledge, you that was kind of satisfying in that.” Estep says he and Bortel have been best know, when you have someone who has — Alissa Wildman Neese — been a part of the community at Bowling friends since college, and his time at BGSU 2011 BG News Copy Editor & Reporter is admirable. Green State University for so long, who YOUR LIFE NovemberSeptember 23, 9, 2020 | PAGE 3 Biden’s plans to combat climate change PHOTO VIA FLICKR.COM Hallie Riley | Campus Editor Environmentalists and progressives for climate change reform can now take a sigh of relief as Joe Biden becomes the next president of the United States this coming January.