Meet a staffer: Editorial editor Alexa Torrens

After spending four semesters on The Daily Orange masthead — with stints in news, as development editor and, currently, as editorial editor — Alexa Torrens has decided she’d be a better fit for the courtroom than the newsroom. But the aspiring lawyer is confident she’ll take what she’s learned at 744 Ostrom with her wherever she goes.

D.O.: What marked your time as news editor?

Torrens: I would say the most exciting news headlines from my time as news editor were from the 2016 presidential candidates’ campaign rallies in Syracuse and the drama of the Student Association elections. Syracuse also made the Final Four that year, so that was an exciting time for the paper as a whole. And Michael Burke, one of my assistants at the time, wrote a few awesome investigative pieces about facilitated communication.

D.O.: What are you known for in the house?

Torrens: I think I’m best known for my obsession with Panera Bread. I go several times a week and have gone with probably at least one-fourth of the staff at this point in the semester. And I can’t tell you how often people say to me, “We should go to Panera soon.” Definitely not often enough, actually.

D.O.: Why did you decide to make the switch to Opinion?

Torrens: Once upon a time, Justin and Alexa (editor in chief and managing editor) needed an Op editor, and they asked me. I’d spent a good amount of my time as development editor editing columns, and I guess they thought I had enough experience as an editor to take on the job without having ever written for Opinion. I’m really glad they asked me.

D.O.: What do you plan on doing after you graduate?

Torrens: After I graduate I plan on going to law school. I’m not sure where I’ll go yet, but I’ve got my eyes on some schools in California. I think it’d be cool to live on the West Coast for a bit. I’m looking to practice family law, but that could change.

D.O.: What made you decide to ditch journalism and pursue law?

Torrens: I think I changed my mind about pursuing journalism during my freshman year at SU, when I decided I definitely wanted to go to law school. When I joined The D.O. my sophomore year, I realized that I didn’t have the same passion for reporting that the people around me did, and it kind of solidified my change of heart. I’m also a very rational thinker and good at dishing advice, and at some point I realized I have a knack for understanding different sides of a situation. That’s when I thought I might be good at the whole lawyer thing.

D.O.: How will you apply your journalism training in the law field?

Torrens: Everything worth knowing about journalism I’ve learned at The D.O. The people here taught me to write concisely and cleanly and showed me how to structure my ideas into something that flows and makes sense. I’d say my ability to organize my thoughts into words is the journalistic trait that will help me the most when I’m practicing law. I’ve also learned a lot about communicating with people, and that’s valuable for every career path, I think. Being news editor also taught me a lot about leadership.

D.O.: Why did you stay in-house despite knowing you don’t want a career in journalism?

Torrens: I love coming to work every day and seeing my friends. I like the work, but I love the people more. It’s fun getting to hang out with 30 different people for eight hours every day.