It has been three years since my first article for the “FHS Press,” and what an experience it has been during these past three years. In my three years as a member on the staff, I have held positions as an Assistant and Main News Editor, Copy Editor (all three years), fhs-press.com Editor-in-Chief and Co-Editor-in-Chief alongside Baylee Stewart. I could not have wished for better staff or friends during my time in Print Media and it will be something that I will miss dearly after I have graduated from high school.
To start off, I want to thank all of the readers of this publication. Whether you are a student or a community member, delivering news is our mission and we just want to better inform you of the going-ons in the district. Covering the school board and going to more than 40 meetings has helped gain a better insight on what is going on in the community and sharing it with you, the reader, makes what I do worth every minute.
While Print Media may have been a lot of work, it didn’t come without its fair share of playing either. In class, I always loved joking around with the staff and then calming down whenever Fitz would stand quietly at the front of the room with his “I’m not angry, just disappointed” face while everyone would quiet down. Between playing “Name that Tune” and getting demolished because I don’t listen to music that much or losing our minds after school at 10 in the evening because the yearbook hasn’t been submitted yet, some of the best times I have had in high school have been in room 226.
Taking Print Media also taught me a bunch of things. For example, I was scared out of my mind to talk to new people. Through practice and tons of interviews, I can say I have conquered my fears. Also, I learned that dad jokes are definitely way more funny than people give them credit, even if everyone yells at me to leave the room whenever I say one.
It wouldn’t be a goodbye letter without addressing each of the people in Print Media this year that made this class such a blast to be in. I want to thank each and everyone of these people for all of the hard work they put into this publication. To Baylee Stewart, you have been the best Co-Editor-in-Chief I could ask for and I know that neither of us ever wants to touch InDesign ever again. To my managing editor Mason Hedge, your positive energy has the ability to turn anyone’s frown upside down and you should be proud of the outstanding work you have done in Print Media the past two years.
To Cole Skuse, though you may have constantly argued with me because you hate my guts love me so dearly, I know you just wanted the paper to be the best quality it could be. To Madison Snavely, you turned the social media from the equivalent of an oasis into something that actually makes a post more than once a year. Between your constant prodding and begging for people to retweet things, I’m proud to say that you successfully convinced at least one person. To Keith Pawlowski, your filler headlines always made me laugh because while they may have been jokes, some of them seemed oddly realistic. To Sarah Levenson and Jessica Majors, you were as inseparable as could be during class and I wish you both the best next year. To Jalynn Falk, you weren’t afraid to ever speak up during a budget meeting and share your ideas or to help others out if they are struggling with trying to figure out what to write about.
To Hallie Speilman and JoAnn Sharpless, you guys always tried your hardest with working on the website and making sure that everything was as perfect as could be. To Marissa Lammie, you would always bombard me with cat pictures whenever I was bombarded with work and your writing abilities have vastly improved since the start of the year, which you should be proud of. To Leah McNear, though you may have asked me a bunch of questions, I was always happy to answer them and you shouldn’t be ashamed of your ability to ask questions whenever you need help, because I know that is definitely something I need to work on. To Matthew Levenson, your music always livened up the class and you were the best resident sports writer any editor could ask for.
Finally, to Mr. Aaron Fitzpatrick, you may not have known this, but I was scared to take Print Media. I thought you wouldn’t like me for a multitude of reasons, but because of your kind and caring personality, I am proud to say that you are one of my favorite teachers and every student should experience having a class with you at least once during their high school career.
Overall, Print Media has been a lot of things to me. It’s not just a class. It’s a comedy club, a news room, a safe space and most importantly, a home. It will be something I will miss dearly whenever I go off to college, but I know that I am leaving the publication in good hands with the underclassmen and it will continue to be the award-winning publication that it’s been.