As the year draws to an end, our senior staffers are looking to new horizons and learning how to say goodbye. Whether they’ve been on staff for four years, or only one, here are their words of wisdom, friendship, and advice to all those they’ll leave behind.

From Erin McSorley:

To the staff of the 2019-2020 school year, I hope you thrive and that you take the site to new heights having fun along the way. Don’t forget to look around and get to know each other before you go. Don’t miss out on the friendships and don’t wait until the last minute to write your stories.

Arielle, you are such a sweet soul and you will go very far in life with your kindness and work ethic. Even from our short interactions, you made me and the staff smile daily. Thank you for your dedication and consistency throughout the past year.

Marcus, you’re a super cool dude and I can’t wait to see what you do next! You have great confidence and sense of yourself that I admire, and I’ll always remember the time you yelled at the pizza guy. Good luck in your endeavors.

Reed, your music taste is awesome and you’re a super nice guy! I hope you have a really fun senior year. I can’t wait to see what you do with the site next year!

Amanda, I’m so glad I was on staff this year because I got the chance to be better friends with you. I know you’re going to do great things in your life and I can’t wait to see where you go. Never lose your kindness, self-confidence, or your sense of humor.

Brianna, there are no words. I love spending a couple of hours with you every day, and I will miss you dearly. Love you to the moon, and I’ll see you in Denton at some point probably.

Sam, getting to know you this year has been a joy. Your sense of humor and loyalty as a friend will set you apart from the crowd in the future. I truly hope we stay in touch! You’re the coolest! Can’t wait to see what you do next!

From Amanda Nguyen:

Bri, we’ve come so far these past four years! You are an incredible role model to everyone around you and I can’t wait to see you do great things once you leave high school and even after college. You’ve always taught me to stay true to myself and to not change myself or the way I think for anyone. You’re an incredible, funny, beautiful and true friend and I hope we stay in touch. Thank you for always making me laugh in newspaper, I’ll miss you!

Erin, if there was one word I could pick to describe you it would be kind. You have the absolute purest and kindest heart I’ve ever seen and you are always there for others. You see the good in everyone and you have the best places to go get coffee! I wish you the best at SFA and I can’t wait to see what you become.

Sam, although you’ve only been on staff a year, I feel like you’ve been here all along. You’re a talented writer, Rock Band guitarist, and friend! You always know how to make us all laugh and we enjoy having you here on staff. I hope you achieve everything you want later in life and good luck in college!

Ari, you are so nice and so sweet! I hope you have the best senior year next year and go on to be the great person that you are! You’re so smart and I know you’re going to go on to do great things!

Marcus, I’ve always admired your enthusiasm for gaming and getting food every day. You’ve made us all laugh at times and I wish you the best in your future!

Reed, I hope you enjoy your last year of high school because it goes by so fast! Enjoy your summer and good luck!!

From Bri Branscomb:

To the staff of 2019-2020 and beyond: I truly hope you all realize what a unique opportunity newspaper/journalism offers you. There is nothing more important in this world than to find your voice, and to wield its’ power. If there’s any advice I leave to you, it’s this: always have an open mind. Don’t limit yourself to your own worldview. If you do that, you’ll learn extraordinary things. Best of luck!

Ari, despite your more quiet nature, I’ve truly enjoyed getting to know you and am honored to have gotten to help you grow as a writer. (Even if it was only for a little bit.) Your saccharine approach to life is infectious and reminded me several times to practice kindness. I hope you open up more next year, and that newspaper will always be a home for you! Thank you for your hard work.

Reed, my dude. My main man. Even though you’ve decided that newspaper isn’t the thing for you, I’m so glad you were on staff this year. You made me laugh whenever you talked and introduced me to quite a few new bands I wouldn’t have heard of otherwise. What I was most impressed by during your initial interview was your enthusiasm. Whatever you choose to pursue in your life, I know you’ll chase after it with the utmost vigor. Keep doin’ you, and good luck on your senior year!

Marcus, I really wish we had become friends earlier! Though you’re ‘quiet’ (when you feel like it), you’ve never failed to make me smile or think of things in a new light. Your brutal honesty was a breath of fresh air, and I always knew I could be myself around you. I hope we keep in touch, and that you go rock it in college!

Sam, One of my favorite parts of this year was getting to know you. After having you in my classes since the third grade, I was surprised to see how well we got along this year. You’re an intelligent, hardworking, amazingly kind person, and I’ve been lucky to call you a friend. I’ll try to visit you when I’m in Lubbock and know you’re gonna wreck ‘em!  

Amanda, You’ve stuck with me (and newspaper) for the past three years and I couldn’t be more grateful. When you first joined staff, I was hesitant to have you on board, as I didn’t know you very well. What has resulted from your decision to become a part of our organization is one of the best friendships I’ve had in my life. You’ve taught me so much about strength, love, and confidence over the course of high school, and have helped shape me into the woman I am. I’ll always love you, and can’t wait to hear what you do in college!

Erin, I can’t begin to describe how lucky I’ve been to call you my best friend for the past 6 years. You’re someone who will always bring a smile to my face, and help me when I’m down. I look up to you more than you know, as you inspire us all with your capacity to love. I’ll miss you so much in college, but I’ll also talk to you all the time, so it’ll be like you’re with me. Love you always, and thank you for your friendship 🙂

Alley, Whenever I learned that you were going to be our new advisor, I didn’t know what to expect. Bell had created an open environment where we could say whatever we felt, so I was worried that that security would be taken away from the paper. I now realize how wrong I was. You’ve been one of the teachers who has shown me the most love and support in my life. I can’t even begin to articulate what a large impact you’ve had on me and my future, so I’ll just say this: thank you. Thank you for always inspiring me to do better, and for pushing me when I didn’t think I could reach a goal. Thank you for always being one of my biggest fans. And thank you for funding all of my incessant snacking. I really hope you continue to pour your dedication and infectious attitude into the program, as I think it could be something amazing with you leading it.