By Katie Sittig-Boyd
Staff Writer
Walk into the newsroom, turn to the right, and there she is: the Grammar Avenger. On the average Tuesday night, this warrior of Oxford Commas can be found sitting at one of the Voice computers, watching her traditional kitten livestream.
One of the esteemed copy editors of the Voice, the Grammar Avenger is infamous for hunting down typos galore and eradicating them until they no longer exist in living memory.
If there are pages to be edited, expect to see her wielding the green pen of copy-editing doom, putting commas in their place. On particularly dramatic nights, her battle cry echoes through the newsroom: “Paragraphs! Paragraphs!”
The Grammar Avenger has been working for the Voice since she joined two years ago. “I had two friends who worked on the paper, and I was interested in doing copy editing, so here I am,” she said. In addition to copy editing, she is a staff writer.
She is skilled in not only recognizing typos in articles but also in noting where the other copy editors’ talent for identifying and correcting errors may be lacking. She is always clear about how dates should be properly formatted, capitalization rules, and why the Oxford Comma “should be necessary everywhere,” a sentiment frequently expressed with great vehemence.
Not only does she have a keen awareness of grammatical incorrectness, she is a conscientious member of the Voice who makes certain that social issues, particularly those related to sexism, gender, and mental health, are portrayed respectfully in the paper.
She is majoring in Communications: Writing and minoring in Philosophy. Post graduation, she intends to live life according to the instructions listed in the picture below.
Tuesdays are always fun with the Grammar Avenger, whether due to fandom discussions, conversations about gender identity, or for low-volume snarking and hilarious stories. She also serves as the voice of reason when outspoken copy editors attempt to reject AP standards they disagree with and makes sure that the standards are properly followed.
Whether she is writing impassioned letters to the editor, utilizing her favorite word, [redacted], with great frequency, whipping columns into shape with green ink, or navigating the vastness of the internet during breaks, production nights with the Grammar Avenger are always entertaining.
We at the Voice wish her the best of luck with future endeavors, whether they involve owning a million cats, reading amateur homoerotic fiction, or becoming a successful author. Farewell, Grammar Avenger, and may your commas always be Oxford.
