You open the door to a dim hallway. There’s an intricate and confusing mural painted on one wall, a whiteboard asking a strange question to anyone who happens down this isolated part of the school. You are greeted by laughter and joyous voices before you even enter the room and you can’t help but smile; this is the best part of your day every day. As soon as you step into room 507, a warmth fills your chest. This is a safe place for you. The smell of coffee, gentle lights, cozy blankets, and all your favorite people. Nothing could make you feel more secure or comfortable.
This is what Publications is to me: a place to refuel, both mentally and physically, and somewhere I know I will always be welcome and accepted. There’s a warmth there that isn’t anywhere else in the world. I know without a doubt that the memories I made in my time here will last a lifetime.
You feel the wind on your skin as you laugh loudly. Your friends are pushing a car’s worth of tires down the street; running and stumbling on the cracks in the sidewalk. There’s a coffee in your hand, and a grin on your face.
Newspaper will always be my home away from home; my second family. The people that I met here have shaped me into the person I am today and I can’t imagine taking any other path in high school.
The room is full of quiet excitement as the reporter pulls you out for a filmed TV interview. Almost all of you got to speak, and you know that this is an amazing opportunity for everyone on the staff, as well as The Spartan Scoop as a whole. As he leaves the room with one of your fellow staff members, you and all of your friends smile at each other as the reality of what’s happening sinks in.
Although I am not going to college for journalism, I know that I have learned skills that will help me through every aspect of life. I have made connections with people who I may not have met otherwise, and I know I have a support system that I can count on, and that can count on me.
You stare out at the room. You have an audience, and you need to lead, but you don’t know how. You’ve never been in charge before, and now you need to run an entire staff. There are people here that you’ve never met before; people older than you that are just expected to listen to you. You take a deep breath in and begin speaking.
This class has provided me with an insight into life that I don’t think I could have gotten otherwise. I genuinely believe that the people on The Spartan Scoop have saved me in more ways than one. They’ve been with me at some of my lowest points and helped me to grow past that into someone stronger, kinder, and more able to accept change.
You step into the room with a weight on your shoulders, as you realize this is one of the last times you will see some of your closest friends. The time you spent with these people is coming to a close, and there is no way to truly explain to them how much they mean to you. They never failed to make you smile; they listened when you complained; they laughed with you during all the ups and downs in your high school career. You know that even as you all go your separate ways these people will be there for you when you need them most.
I can’t imagine my life without you all, and I will miss each and every one of The Spartan Scoop staffers. I hope that I am able to stay in touch with each and every one of you, as you have all brightened my life in so many ways – I cannot thank you all enough for the joy you brought me and the friendship you provided. This may be goodbye, but it is only the beginning of all the wonderful things you will accomplish.
I can’t wait to see what the future holds for myself, and for each and every one of you. Good luck scoopers.
