I still vividly remember my freshman year journalism class, where I was first introduced to Mrs. Schloetter and the ways of the newsroom. Sitting at a table by the expansive window, I remember overhearing the seniors’ conversations and admiring their supposed wisdom and maturity. My friends and I would embarrassingly engage in our freshman antics while the senior journalists would write inspiring prose in an experienced manner. Now, sitting at the same table four years later, I can’t believe I have taken their place.

I’ve risen from a new journalist to newspaper staff member to Management Editor, and as the room has seemed to grow smaller, our community has grown bigger. Each year, there are more writers, more photographers and more curious people from all different corners of LHS who bring unique perspectives to the paper. In my leadership role this year, I have loved seeing mere ideas grow to full-fledged page designs and captivating articles. I have watched my peers develop into more confident writers, shedding off their original reluctance at spreading their voices around the school. I have even seen myself grow, as I have learned to master the chaotic software that is InDesign, spending less and less hours designing each issue’s center spread. I will always be grateful for the experience this room has given me.

This classroom will always hold fond memories, whether it’s watching Coy Wire on CNN 10, fighting for teachers to distribute papers to or coming up with punny headlines for my friends’ articles. My time on the Newspacer will always be one of my favorite memories when I reflect back on high school, and I know that as I enter this next chapter of my life, its lessons and values will always stay with me.