diff --git a/client/build/reducers/publish.js b/client/build/reducers/publish.js
index 142417b3..e1b0f4f0 100644
--- a/client/build/reducers/publish.js
+++ b/client/build/reducers/publish.js
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 Object.defineProperty(exports, "__esModule", {
   value: true
 });
-exports.default = void 0;
+exports.default = _default;
 
 var actions = _interopRequireWildcard(require("../constants/publish_action_types"));
 
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ var initialState = {
   thumbnailChannelId: thumbnailChannelId
 };
 
-var _default = function _default() {
+function _default() {
   var state = arguments.length > 0 && arguments[0] !== undefined ? arguments[0] : initialState;
   var action = arguments.length > 1 ? arguments[1] : undefined;
 
@@ -118,6 +118,6 @@ var _default = function _default() {
     default:
       return state;
   }
-};
+}
 
-exports.default = _default;
\ No newline at end of file
+;
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/client/build/reducers/site.js b/client/build/reducers/site.js
index 34c7035e..604f2e5d 100644
--- a/client/build/reducers/site.js
+++ b/client/build/reducers/site.js
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 Object.defineProperty(exports, "__esModule", {
   value: true
 });
-exports.default = void 0;
+exports.default = _default;
 
 var _siteConfig = _interopRequireDefault(require("@config/siteConfig.json"));
 
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ if (_siteConfig.default) {
   };
 }
 
-var _default = function _default() {
+function _default() {
   var state = arguments.length > 0 && arguments[0] !== undefined ? arguments[0] : initialState;
   var action = arguments.length > 1 ? arguments[1] : undefined;
 
@@ -48,6 +48,6 @@ var _default = function _default() {
     default:
       return state;
   }
-};
+}
 
-exports.default = _default;
\ No newline at end of file
+;
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/client/src/reducers/publish.js b/client/src/reducers/publish.js
index 1cbfc5b9..29a31d7d 100644
--- a/client/src/reducers/publish.js
+++ b/client/src/reducers/publish.js
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ const initialState = {
   thumbnailChannelId,
 };
 
-export default (state = initialState, action) => {
+export default function (state = initialState, action) {
   switch (action.type) {
     case actions.FILE_SELECTED:
       return Object.assign({}, initialState, {  // note: clears to initial state
diff --git a/client/src/reducers/site.js b/client/src/reducers/site.js
index b22e0fe9..6b0b3e61 100644
--- a/client/src/reducers/site.js
+++ b/client/src/reducers/site.js
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ if (siteConfig) {
   };
 }
 
-export default (state = initialState, action) => {
+export default function (state = initialState, action) {
   switch (action.type) {
     default:
       return state;
diff --git a/index.js b/index.js
index 7910bbf2..7d6f789c 100644
--- a/index.js
+++ b/index.js
@@ -1,10 +1,17 @@
-// set up aliasing
+// set up module aliasing
 const moduleAlias = require('module-alias');
 const createModuleAliases = require('./server/utils/createModuleAliases.js');
 const customAliases = createModuleAliases();
-console.log('custom aliases', customAliases);
 moduleAlias.addAliases(customAliases);
 
+// test configs
+const checkForConfig = require('./server/utils/checkForConfig.js');
+checkForConfig('siteConfig');
+checkForConfig('mysqlConfig');
+checkForConfig('slackConfig');
+checkForConfig('loggerConfig');
+checkForConfig('siteConfig');
+
 // load modules
 const express = require('express');
 const bodyParser = require('body-parser');
@@ -25,17 +32,10 @@ const configureLogging = require('./server/utils/configureLogging.js');
 const configureSlack = require('./server/utils/configureSlack.js');
 const speechPassport = require('./server/speechPassport');
 
-// test configs
-const siteConfig = require('@config/siteConfig');
-console.log('siteConfig:', siteConfig);
-const mysqlConfig = require('@config/mysqlConfig');
-console.log('mysqlConfig:', mysqlConfig);
-const slackConfig = require('@config/slackConfig');
-console.log('slackConfig:', slackConfig);
-const loggerConfig = require('@config/loggerConfig');
-console.log('loggerConfig:', loggerConfig);
-
-const PORT = siteConfig.details.port;
+const {
+  details: { port: PORT },
+  auth: { sessionKey },
+} = require('@config/siteConfig');
 
 function Server () {
   this.initialize = () => {
@@ -69,7 +69,6 @@ function Server () {
     app.use(requestLogger);
 
     // initialize passport
-    const sessionKey = siteConfig.auth.sessionKey;
     app.use(cookieSession({
       name  : 'session',
       keys  : [sessionKey],
diff --git a/server/render/build/handlePageRender.js b/server/render/build/handlePageRender.js
index 0e5dd197..f07cbe55 100644
--- a/server/render/build/handlePageRender.js
+++ b/server/render/build/handlePageRender.js
@@ -10,6 +10,8 @@ var _reactRedux = require("react-redux");
 
 var _reactRouterDom = require("react-router-dom");
 
+var _reactHelmet = _interopRequireDefault(require("react-helmet"));
+
 var _reducers = _interopRequireDefault(require("@reducers"));
 
 var _GAListener = _interopRequireDefault(require("@components/GAListener"));
@@ -18,8 +20,6 @@ var _app = _interopRequireDefault(require("@app"));
 
 var _renderFullPage = _interopRequireDefault(require("../renderFullPage.js"));
 
-var _reactHelmet = _interopRequireDefault(require("react-helmet"));
-
 function _interopRequireDefault(obj) { return obj && obj.__esModule ? obj : { default: obj }; }
 
 module.exports = function (req, res) {
diff --git a/server/render/build/handleShowRender.js b/server/render/build/handleShowRender.js
index ac1ac7cc..0dbef501 100644
--- a/server/render/build/handleShowRender.js
+++ b/server/render/build/handleShowRender.js
@@ -16,6 +16,8 @@ var _reduxSaga = _interopRequireDefault(require("redux-saga"));
 
 var _effects = require("redux-saga/effects");
 
+var _reactHelmet = _interopRequireDefault(require("react-helmet"));
+
 var _reducers = _interopRequireDefault(require("@reducers"));
 
 var _GAListener = _interopRequireDefault(require("@components/GAListener"));
@@ -26,8 +28,6 @@ var _sagas = _interopRequireDefault(require("@sagas"));
 
 var _actions = _interopRequireDefault(require("@actions"));
 
-var _reactHelmet = _interopRequireDefault(require("react-helmet"));
-
 function _interopRequireDefault(obj) { return obj && obj.__esModule ? obj : { default: obj }; }
 
 var returnSagaWithParams = function returnSagaWithParams(saga, params) {
diff --git a/server/render/src/handlePageRender.jsx b/server/render/src/handlePageRender.jsx
index 9f9320d6..f10704b1 100644
--- a/server/render/src/handlePageRender.jsx
+++ b/server/render/src/handlePageRender.jsx
@@ -3,11 +3,12 @@ import { renderToString } from 'react-dom/server';
 import { createStore } from 'redux';
 import { Provider } from 'react-redux';
 import { StaticRouter } from 'react-router-dom';
+import Helmet from 'react-helmet';
+
 import Reducers from '@reducers';
 import GAListener from '@components/GAListener';
 import App from '@app';
 import renderFullPage from '../renderFullPage.js';
-import Helmet from 'react-helmet';
 
 module.exports = (req, res) => {
   let context = {};
diff --git a/server/render/src/handleShowRender.jsx b/server/render/src/handleShowRender.jsx
index 5f48afe4..8621b597 100644
--- a/server/render/src/handleShowRender.jsx
+++ b/server/render/src/handleShowRender.jsx
@@ -6,12 +6,13 @@ import { StaticRouter } from 'react-router-dom';
 import renderFullPage from '../renderFullPage';
 import createSagaMiddleware from 'redux-saga';
 import { call } from 'redux-saga/effects';
+import Helmet from 'react-helmet';
+
 import Reducers from '@reducers';
 import GAListener from '@components/GAListener';
 import App from '@app';
 import Sagas from '@sagas';
 import Actions from '@actions';
-import Helmet from 'react-helmet';
 
 const returnSagaWithParams = (saga, params) => {
   return function * () {
diff --git a/server/utils/checkForConfig.js b/server/utils/checkForConfig.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..44fc80ff
--- /dev/null
+++ b/server/utils/checkForConfig.js
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+const logger = require('winston');
+
+module.exports = (name) => {
+  const config = require(`@config/${name}`);
+  if (!config) {
+    return logger.warn(`Server could not find config file for ${name}.`);
+  }
+  logger.debug(`found ${name} config:`, config);
+};
diff --git a/server/utils/googleAnalytics.js b/server/utils/googleAnalytics.js
index 57614569..77aca08c 100644
--- a/server/utils/googleAnalytics.js
+++ b/server/utils/googleAnalytics.js
@@ -31,7 +31,6 @@ const sendGoogleAnalyticsEvent = (ip, params) => {
     if (err) {
       return logger.error('Google Analytics Event Error >>', err);
     }
-    logger.debug(`Event successfully sent to google analytics`, params);
   });
 };
 
@@ -42,7 +41,6 @@ const sendGoogleAnalyticsTiming = (siteTitle, params) => {
     if (err) {
       return logger.error('Google Analytics Event Error >>', err);
     }
-    logger.debug(`Timing event successfully sent to google analytics`, params);
   });
 };