News has been an experience for me that I will probably never forget. From stressing about past-due deadlines to missing a solid month due to a nasty bug, News has always brought up stress in my life. Even from missing Friday Flash filming to cranking out a story at the last second, I seem always to be the one behind. However, it never felt that way in class. The constant patience and kindness that I have received from the entire team are unmatched by any I’ve ever seen or received. From bad photos in the group chat to the excitement surrounding everyone’s good news, the staff has always had each other’s backs. Mrs. Basinger will always be one of my favorite teachers ever. Her endless positivity and support are constantly overflowing. We are truly a team. We have shared frustrations, victories, good news, good news that starts off bad (Jorja news as we call it), bad news, hopes, fears and many many laughs together.

I can say wholeheartedly that I am NOT the same person I was at the beginning of the year. Every year I step more out of my comfort zone and truly am surprised by what I can accomplish. If you told me a year ago that I willingly took a small engines class for the day or walked up to random people with a camera and a microphone to interview that, I would not have believed you. Humans are not stagnant beings, we move and change with our experiences. The newsroom is the perfect place to cultivate that growth. Friday flash segments allow you to talk to people you’ve never talked to before, teacher of the month lets you get to know the teachers in your life a lot better than you had before, writing stories allows for personal growth and new writing styles, you learn how to host a press conference, you learn the importance of deadlines and accountability, you collaborate and learn skills on the computer, you branch out of your comfort zone and learn how to express yourself. I will forever be proud of what I accomplished in News and the stories I was able to tell.

A few tips for newcomers to future news teams. Oxford commas are a no-no, horizontal photos and videos only, no exclamation marks, don’t take on too much if you are not going to be able to finish it all, deadlines are more important than you think and above all have fun.

I’ve never walked into a class as odd as News Journalism. The crazy things we say and do make it that much easier to feel at home and like yourself. We have people laying on tables, a wall full of quotes, a twerking pig that sings a song, an endless supply of Smarties, Santa window clings still up in May, snacks and the infamous birthday hat. We had a theory running through the year that every time we would hold a press conference with Mr. Dufoe, something bad always followed. The newsroom has too many inside jokes to follow. I truly will miss News next year.

I’ve always loved writing, but I have learned through this year, that writing News is not my specialty. I am thankful for the chances and changes that have occurred in the newsroom this past year.