At the end of my junior year, I made the decision to take a class I’d never once even considered in my three years of high school. I hadn’t taken much note of it until Mr. Fitzpatrick started nagging me daily about scheduling for it. I really should’ve known by then that that man is always right, but I didn’t. I was still hesitant to take it; all I knew about it was that it was a lot of hard work, and all of my friends currently enrolled in the class were stressed out beyond belief. This class, quite obviously, was Print Media Workshop (PMW).
The very first thing I had the privilege of doing with this newspaper and yearbook staff was a team-building field trip to Clarion University in early August. From the moment I had to do a trust fall from a ledge about five feet off of the ground into a group of peers (some of them being underclassmen I’d never once spoken to), all I could think to myself was, “What did I sign myself up for?” Now, I finally have an answer to that question I asked so long ago: I signed myself up for the best experience of my high school career.
This class has not only taught me how to write an article and design a yearbook page, but it has also taught me hard work, dedication and the value of working as a team. Working as the Copy Editor for the newspaper and yearbook, and also Co-Editor-in-Chief of the FHS Press, I have learned a plethora of skills that I will utilize come September when (hopefully) I will be a member of my college’s newspaper staff.
I could go on forever about what I wish I could change about high school, but PMW is not one of those things. From staying up late finalizing the newspaper with Gigi [DeWeese] to spending numerous days at the school until 8 p.m. finishing yearbook pages with Lauren [Dubovi] and Mr. Fitzpatrick, I do not regret a single minute of it (except maybe eating too much frozen ”yahgurt” with Lauren after completing yet another stressful yearbook deadline). My only real regret is that I didn’t take Print Media Workshop sooner.
So, goodbye “Print Meteors”; it has most definitely been a pleasure. I say thank you to every single one of you, as you have all made my senior year the best year I’ve ever had. I will always look back on all of the fun times we’ve had fondly, from the simple things like our stupid little nicknames for each other (I’m looking at you, Gravy) to all of the hours spent together both in and out of the classroom. Truth is, I’m even going to miss you guys calling me “Eelame.” I always joke about how I have no friends, but I’m so wrong. After this year, I have nineteen of them (yes, even you, Mr. Fitzpatrick). Thank you all so much for giving me your friendship. Each and every one of you deserve all of the success and happiness that is bound to weave its way into your lives, and I will definitely make sure that I’m around to see it (and maybe even be a part of it).
To Mr. Fitzpatrick, I have a million reasons to say thanks: Thank you for all of the time and effort you’ve put into making our publications great. I know staying after until 6 or 8 p.m. with us couldn’t be much fun, especially when you didn’t even have to, so I really appreciate it. I also have to thank you for all of the great advice you’ve given me over the past two years, and thank you for making me realize my love of English and journalism. I wouldn’t be where I am without you. And, as always, thank you for putting up with my shenanigans, from all of the cat pictures and stupid YouTube videos to allowing me to make lame puns on a consistent basis. Mostly, though, I have to say thank you for never giving up on me, especially when I gave up on myself. I will never forget all of your kind words, and I’m lucky to be able to call you my teacher, mentor and friend.
Now, I leave with a very bittersweet goodbye to FHS; I couldn’t thank you all enough for what you have given me these past four years, even if you didn’t know me personally. To quote a saying that I’ve heard somewhere before, “The journey doesn’t start at the beginning; it begins at the end.” I guess this is the end for me, until my new beginning starts. Enjoy your time here in this building, and don’t be afraid to venture out and try new things; perhaps something as simple as this newspaper could change your entire high school career and future, as it did with mine.
Before that trust fall I did with my PMW peeps back in August, we were told to make a statement about what we trusted each other to do. I remember my statement now as clearly as I did when I said it, standing there terrified on that ledge. I said, “I trust my team not to let me fall, figuratively or literally.” Now here we are, nine months later, where I’m very grateful that I had a group of people who didn’t let me fall—not even once. When times are trying, they catch me every time, just as they did that first time. I will never forget this team of mine, nor will I forget that feeling of pride I get when I see how far we’ve all come, and when I see our completed yearbook and the eight other newspapers we’ve produced this year with our names in bold print. It’s a feeling that is endless, I’m sure, and I won’t ever be able to express just how much it has meant to me.