Five years ago I entered the computer lab here on campus for the first time. I was attending the class I had most excitedly signed up for at the start of my eighth grade year: Journalism. Writing had always been interesting and fun for me up until then. Little did I know that it would become one of my greatest skills. I owe that transformation to my years in this course as both an editor and a columnist.

That first year, one of the first things the editors told us, as Kalyn can attest, is that “this class will make you a better writer.” This maxim is true. For all of you who have taken a Journalism class with Kalyn and I as your editors, you will likely remember us telling you that. It’s a tradition to say among editors, yes, but it’s also an important reminder of why this class exists. In a modern world that demands strong writers, this class is the best possible preparation when taken seriously. Going into a journalism degree, this class is absolutely a stepping stone for future work and my life will surely be better off for having taken this class, both professionally and personally.

That first year was amazing. The editors that year were encouraging, lighthearted, and approachable. The other columnists, though, made the class what it was. I won’t forget how much fun I had with Kalyn that year. That was the year that gave us “Bob says hello,” ploaf, “if this headline was a spice, it would be flour,” “pasta la vista, baby!” and so much more. Those were integral memories for my time here at Horizon Honors.

That first year was interrupted by COVID-19. When we came back to school, journalism was different. That was also the year in which I learned how to fill vacuums. I remember bringing a correction of something uploaded to Ms. Britt. Suddenly, I was promoted from columnist to editor in a turn of events that I did not expect. The rest of that year, as well as the following three years, have tested me, challenged me, but never defeated me. I’ve learned what leadership means in my time as an editor and as this newspaper’s editor-in-chief. This class doesn’t just make you a better writer; it makes you a better person. I don’t know who I would be if not for this experience.

This farewell will be published on my penultimate day of high school. Horizon Honors has been the best school I could have attended and not just because of Journalism. I’ve met my closest friends here, learned who I am and what I want out of life, and felt deeply connected with everything happening in these walls. For those of you who’ve been here since elementary school, it can be easy to take for granted just how incredible this place is. Horizon Honors was the best possible school for me – not just as a student, but as a human being.

I have a number of thanks that I need to make. Firstly, Ms. Britt, thank you for giving me the opportunity to prove myself as a columnist, an editor, and an editor-in-chief. You took a risk on me and I think it’s safe to say that it paid off. Thank you for your continuous support even after Journalism was taken off your hands. You have been one of my best teachers, as well as a great one-time pickleball partner.

Mr. Wolf, thank you for taking over the Horizon Sun in a way that allowed us editors to lean into our strengths and leadership capabilities. You made the past two years of journalism amazing. I greatly appreciate your openness to change and your willingness to let some kid dramatically transform an outdated school newspaper, even if there were hiccups along the way (such as the failed idea to make a podcast – who could have seen that coming?).

To the columnists across all five years, thank you for your continued patience, perseverance, flexibility, eagerness to learn and educate your fellow student body, and professionalism. Thank you for some of the most fun witch hunt games I have ever seen. You are what Journalism is here for. We all want to succeed in life, and you’re taking the steps to do it. I sincerely can’t wait to see where you all end up.

To my fellow editors, Pradyoth, AJ, Cameron, Noah, Max, Kalyn, Luke, Rindala, Soph, Allister, Theo, Amanda, and Addy, thank you all for dealing with me through it all. It has been the honor of a lifetime to work with you all on the mostly noble, sometimes insane endeavor of running a school newspaper. I am especially grateful for all of your efforts the past four years. You make this team a team. To this year’s editors, Kalyn, Amanda, and Addy, thank you for all of your hard work in my absence at the start of the year and your ability to manage uncertain circumstances. Know just how meaningful that was, especially considering that two of you were new editors.

This goodbye would not be complete without a personal thank you to my dear Kal McLeod. You’ve been with me all five years that I’ve been in Journalism, and you’ll be here for another year when I’m gone. I know that this class would be dull and lifeless if it wasn’t for your constant smile. I am very grateful that we have had the chance to grow close, be it from the robot dogs with Soph or our competition in our first year on who could get the most uploads. Although we were tied at the end of that year, I know that you very easily beat me over the course of five years. Thank you for making me want to come to Journalism, even on the days that I would rather be anywhere else. Thank you for stepping up to the plate in my unfortunate absence this year. I don’t think I will ever be able to put into words how important that was to me. I know that next year will be a learning lesson for you (alleviated thankfully by your experience this year) but just know that I will always be reading what’s new on the Horizon Sun. I will also always have my login to help you with anything you need concerning the interface until you take me out of the system, so just say the word and I will help. Kalyn, you’re the best managing editor I could ask for. More than that, though, you’re an incredible friend and a terrific person with a heart to serve. I am so excited to see what you do in your senior year of high school. I’m going to miss talking to you about Tinker v. Des Moines, but I’m going to miss seeing you every other day much, much more.

This goodbye is bittersweet. On one hand, I know that it’s time to move on. I’ve been here long enough, and everything is in place to pass the torch. On the other hand, this class has become such an important part of my life that losing it means losing that part of myself. The solace I have is knowing how good this class was and how lucky I was to be able to take it. I don’t think that I will ever quite comprehend the importance of this class in the course of my life. With that, I hand the Horizon Sun off to Kalyn McLeod, your new editor-in-chief. What a time it’s been.