It’s already the end of May; I can’t even believe it. My senior year has been wonderful; as the Shawnee’s (Freedom High School’s Yearbook) Editor-in-Chief, I had a lot of fun editing the pages of your yearbook that people will look at for years to come. Sometimes it’s weird to think that the work I have done now will still have a special place in someone’s attic or even on a bookshelf in 50 years, because that’s something I don’t think many people can say.
Through the development of two team-building events, five major deadlines, help from my classmates and lots of frozen yogurt, I have made it this far. Graduation, project graduation and one four page supplement are still left to be submitted (please don’t forget to pick them up in August if you bought a yearbook), delivered and organized, but I know I can count on my friends to get through this last bit of PMW work for the year.
I can say that some days through the yearbook creating process, I wanted to jump out of the second story window in Mr. Fitzpatrick’s room. Staying after school until 5, 6, 7 or even 8 p.m. and then staying up until midnight to submit pages to the company who prints the yearbook was not how I wanted to spend a majority of the deadline dates.
However, when the book was actually finished with the last page submitted, I wasn’t sure whether to be excited or upset. As cliché as it is to say, it was another one of those bittersweet senior moments. I actually laughed to myself a little bit when it was all over, crashed and went to bed.
As I retire from editing pages, I know the class will go on to publishing bigger and better articles and pages. I am so proud of all of the improvement that the new meteors made throughout the year and even those of us who were returning for a second or third time.
To those of you underclassmen who aren’t in the yearbook much this year, please join some clubs or sports or something. You won’t be in the book much if you don’t follow this advice. This will not only put you in the yearbook more, but it will also help you meet new friends and gain new experiences. Trust me.
PMW: Guys, I don’t even know where to start. You have all been my extended family this year—something no sports team can say and truly mean as much as I do. There is no doubt that I love you all, except when you don’t do your work and I have to, but the love is still there, even if it’s deep into the crevices of my soul. You have really been an awesome part of my senior year; from going to college to learn to “click and drag,” to grumpy cat and everything in between, I wouldn’t trade my memories for any sum of money (especially because my memories are already limited by short-term memory). I know you will put together great publications in the future.
Michelle [Keith]: Good luck next year; I know you’ll be great. It’s going to get rough sometimes, especially the first deadline. Just prepare yourself for it mentally and make sure you start editing at least a week before. Also, make sure you have yahgurt or frozen dairy treats accessible to you and a friend to share it with (that was the key to my sanity this year sometimes). And please, please, please don’t hesitate to call me if you need something.
Desiree [Davis]: I don’t know where our friendship would be without PMW, nor do I know where our yearbook would be without our friendship. Thank you so much for everything this year; the breakfast sandwiches for study hall and the “can-I-come-over-to-finish-the-deadline-because-my-internet-isn’t-working” sleepovers are only the beginning of the list of things I should thank you for. However, this article has a character count that I’ve probably already exceeded.
Mr. Fitzpatrick (aka Dad): Thank you so much for all the support and encouragement you have provided me with last year and this year especially. I don’t think I will ever be able to thank you enough. Thanks for staying after until 6 p.m. or later on all the deadlines just to help me make sure everything was as correct as possible.You have taught me so much without even trying to; I know more about myself and have pushed myself to be my best because of just some of those lessons.
Thank you to Print Meteors past and present who have made the class what it is today. It has shaped my views on work ethic and definitely made me learn to “Shift” my time management abilities more than any class or sport in which I have been involved and created “Locked-in Memories” that I will cherish forever.