The start of my introduction to the news crew was entirely out of my comfort zone, I had never taken a class structured in this nature. Let alone covered journalism-like topics, and I had never been much of a writer. Approaching the second semester, I had convinced myself that I wanted to drop the course, however, this was not something I could do. So, I remained in the class, and the environment and the people kept me firm. It quickly became more than a class, it became a second family composed of more than just the staff, but the students within our school. Due to the structure of this course, I was able to meet and interact with more of the people in our school and start building a relationship. I learned more about the people around me, in a year, than I had in my entire four years of high school.

Those that were once people I passed in the hallways, had names, passion, and hobbies. They were more than just people, they were passionate about Harry Styles, to an obsessive point. They were prone to constant nose bleeds, but still had a strong and bubbly personality that powered through. They had a vast amount of knowledge about the Marvel universe, beyond a plain old movie watcher. They worked drag brunches on the weekend and had a passion for SFX makeup. They had a passion for their nearly hazardous cat, that someone couldn’t help but love. They adored cold weather and farmers’ markets. They had an impeccable fashion sense, and an open attitude to help anyone. These people who were once just someone I passed in the hallway, shaped into complete family members. They became more than just people.

Marge Kennedy once said, ¨In truth a family is what you make it. It is made strong not by the number of heads counted at the dinner table, but by the rituals you help family members create, by the memories you share, by the commitment of time, caring, and love you show to one another, and by the hopes for the future, you have as individuals and as a unit.¨

This is the virtue our newsroom held at its very core. The numbers part of our table changed and we adapted, and supported each other to the very best of our abilities. Our rituals were shaped by good news, Friday Flash planning, filming, and constant lighthearted conversations. Our memories started out on the very first day of class, and they continually came easy as time flew by. As the course comes to a conclusion, the created family has remained strong, forever laughing and creating memories even as we move on to our next life chapters. After all our news staff is more than just people, it’s a forever family.