Decade-long career comes to an end

A key factor behind the scenes for the Freedom Forum, and subsequently The Volante, will retire on October 19. Darlene Schieffer, senior secretary at the Freedom Forum and business manager of the student newspaper, will say goodbye to the job she has had for the past decade.

“I do the bookkeeping of The Volante. I oversee the credit manager and work with the ad manager,” she said. “I keep things going the way they are supposed to be going.”

Chuck Baldwin, journalist in residence and Volante adviser, worked with Schieffer the past nine and a half years.

“Darlene helps out a lot with The Volante,” Baldwin said. “She manages the payroll, works with advertisements, is the business manager and keeps the finances on track.”

Numerous students have relied on Darlene’s expertise during the past years.

Medical student Josie Kerk, a former editor for The Volante, said Schieffer set the tone for how she was treated as a student and on the paper.

“She was the gatekeeper in a way because her office was where you checked in,” Kerk said.

Kerk said Schieffer knew everything and was always right down the hall from the newsroom if she ever had a question.

“Darlene is a great resource for students, on and off The Volante staff,” he said. “You could go to her with any question and if she did not know the answer, she would find it for you. She is a great help and you can always go to her to if you need something done.”

Baldwin said he realizes Darlene will be missed.

“One doesn’t ever want to say that someone is irreplaceable, but Darlene has been a great person,” Baldwin said. “She’s wonderful and always has a smile. I just wish she’d stay. We are all going to miss her. Working together closely on The Volante staff with her for the past years has turned her into family for all of us.”

Schieffer said she will miss all the staff members she worked with the past 10 years.

“I am going to miss everyone; I know that,” she said. “I have mixed feelings because I am happy to be retiring but I know I will miss everyone.”

Schieffer intends to keep in touch with her old friends and colleagues. “I know I will be back a few times; I hope to be anyway,” she said.