I am writing this a week after its due date, just one day before the deadline. That’s because for the last couple of weeks, I have been completely lost as to what to write about. The problem wasn’t that nothing happened over the last four years, but that when I think back, it’s hard to pick out many things that felt truly meaningful. Whether it was learning differential equations in calculus or memorizing the meaning of Sisyphean for a vocabulary quiz in AP Lang, truthfully, much of what I did over my high school career felt insignificant, and I’ve probably forgotten most of it. One experience, though, rises above the rest: my work with Common Sense.

I joined Common Sense as a sophomore because my sister, who was the editor-in-chief the year before, told me it would be an easy A class and that I might enjoy some of the journalistic work. While I did get A’s every year and enjoyed the journalistic work, my sister severely underestimated what Common Sense would soon mean to me. What she failed to mention was how different it felt to post an article compared to writing an essay, and how unique the newspaper community was compared to any other classroom in the building.

In my junior year, I became a news editor, even though this role mainly involved designing colorful, unique pages, and I am not a creative person. Unsurprisingly, I hated making pages. It was repetitive, tedious and infuriating. Regardless, the few days a quarter that I had to make a page were my favorite, because it allowed me to spend time with an amazing group of editors, many of whom became my closest friends. Press days brought together a team of remarkable, passionate individuals, many of whom are among the most admirable people I have ever met, and no other class at Wootton has ever created such a fun and welcoming environment.

As a senior, I became an online editor-in-chief. At this point, I had finally cemented myself as part of Common Sense. I was now working alongside my best friend Alex as we navigated posting articles, submitting work for awards, and handling countless responsibilities most people never even think about. I spent late nights stressing over how a certain widget appeared on the sports page and lunch periods uploading the print magazine to the website so everyone could see it. With each year came more responsibility and a stronger feeling that I was part of something I could be proud of. I remember watching a girl in my AP Lit class open a magazine to the first page, and how proud I was seeing my name at the top of the page, listed as an EIC.

But this has also made it so hard to say goodbye. As annoying as posting five articles on days when I had three different tests was, the work I did for the newspaper became part of my life, and even though all of the hours I spent hopelessly trying to perfect the homepage now feel somewhat irrelevant, I would certainly do it again. Passing the website on to junior Cat Bucsa, as qualified and committed as she is, feels like a leap of faith I didn’t think I’d have to make so soon, but like all good things, I know this, too, must come to an end. The truth is, if you asked me what ‘Sisyphean’ means, I’d probably struggle to answer. But if you asked me about Common Sense, I could tell you stories from the past three years that I know I’ll never forget.

At this point, I thought I had finished this reflection, but as I reread it, I realized I had left out one of the most important parts of Common Sense. It feels like a crime to have written about Common Sense without mentioning our advisor, Mrs. Starr. I knew from the moment I set foot in the newspaper room that Mrs. Starr was not going to lie to me when I made a mistake. I’ve always respected people like Mrs. Starr who aren’t afraid to tell you when you’re wrong if it means making something better. Even when she told me that my font was too dark to read or that the border I had chosen didn’t look as cool as I thought it did, I was thankful for her honesty, because it showed that she truly cared about what we were doing. Her passion for journalism is contagious, and she is the heart and soul of Common Sense. I am truly grateful to have had a leader who helped make Common Sense such an unforgettable part of my high school experience.