This is the last week of newspaper, and therefore the last week that we will be editors-in-chief. We decided to dedicate our last blog to saying goodbye and reminiscing on memories from the year.

Sarah speaking:

Throughout this year, there have been a couple of times where I have either had to write or talk about the impact being on the newspaper staff has had on my life. On each of those occasions, I thought about how impossible a task  it is to describe everything that has come to be important to me in high school in merely a page or two. I first joined the newspaper staff because I liked to write. It was pretty simple. However, when I reflect back on my journalism experiences now, I can pinpoint specific moments when my journalism involvement altered some aspect of my life. I first felt myself gain independence when I went to Washington D.C. my sophomore year and I first did something truly spontaneous (at least for me) when I jumped in a fountain in the middle of the night with my staff at the first journalism camp I went to. There were other moments, too, when I felt myself age years when articles I or my staff members wrote prompted unexpected reaction. Most importantly, journalism made me recognize the good in people. Often times journalists see people in their most honest moments simply because they ask the questions no one else ever bothered to. I saw that kind of authenticity interviewing sources and I saw it too in the staff members who had never found a place they belonged before journalism.

Clearly I am biased, but I have long since decided that journalists are the best kind of people because they really care about others. Each and every one of the people on the journalism staff has made an impact on my life. I loved raving with a&e editor Austin Gillespie and web editor Kaitlin Rounds, saying awkward things to managing editor Sarah Fulton, driving around in the middle of nowhere with photographer Kelsey Floyd and yelling at and often laughing with the man cave row in class, to name a few memories. And to top off such an amazing staff, I couldn’t have asked for a better co-editor in Jill. Jill is such a strong, caring and talented person and she helped me become a stronger person this year. I don’t think any of you could ever imagine the joy you bring to my life. The tears will be rollin’ next week at our end of the year banquet! Thank you for the time of my life.

Jill speaking:

This has by far been the best year of high school that I have had in all of the four years I have been here, and if I could pin that on any one reason, it would be newspaper and being an editor-in-chief. It has been so great to manage a publication of so many passionate students and I enjoy being able to say that at one point, I was able to be a leader on this incredibly successful paper. I love Sarah, and there is no one I would have rather done this with than her. I am proud of the strides this paper has taken, and I am so proud of all of her success this year. I will never forget the ridiculous worknight conversations the staff had, the stressful situations we got ourselves into and being able to spend time with 30 awesome people for hours every week. Some of my favorite memories include making fun of Sarah with Austin Gillespie, or rapping to “The Show Goes On” with Jack Lopez. Teasing Austin “Gudez” Gude and Adam Henderson was always a joy and I loved getting to teach people about design and watching new designers make things they can be proud of. I would like to thank everyone on newspaper for making this a fantastic year, and I can’t wait to see all of the amazing things the returning members do next year.

Seeing as it’s the end of the year, our time learning lessons as editors-in-chief are over. However, just for old time’s sake:

Lesson 34 of being an editor-in-chief: Check.