Ever since I joined The Pearl Post staff in 10th grade, I’ve been telling

stories. Storytelling is what I love to do and I’ve been blessed to tell a tremendous variety of stories during my time here.

I’ve told stories about school safety and the Common Core Standards, stories about everything from chronic traffic to “The Avengers” and just about anything else in between. But there’s one story that I’ve never told you guys: The story of the newsroom.

During my time here, I’ve probably spent more time in the newsroom than in any other room on campus. Not because I have to be in there but because I genuinely enjoy the sense of camaraderie and friendship that I feel in there.

As I sit here writing this, I realize just how much I’ve gone through and all the things I’ve done, both with and without my fellow editors. This year, I functioned in a large part as the main person who ran our website. I never would have guessed in 10th grade that in two years I would be in charge of our (award-winning) website.

That raises an interesting question. Why exactly did I choose to become Online Editor-in-Chief? Not because I thought it would be glamorous or would gain me recognition across campus. No. I did it because I’m a storyteller, but more importantly, I wanted to see where my story was going. From the moment I stepped into the newsroom, my story was inexorably intertwined with that of everyone else who was in there.

For three years, I’ve sat in the newsroom, forging some of the strongest bonds of my high school career with those who sat with me. The expe-
riences that I’ve shared with my fellow editors everything from making up silly dummy headlines to fighting over the last slice of pizza to actually being productive every once in a while – have in many ways defined my high school career, have helped shape my story.

For three years, the newsroom has been more than just a computer lab, it’s been a second home, not only to me, but to everyone who was walked through its doors. And if the newsroom is a home, then, as my co-editor-in-chief has so often pointed out, I’m part of one of the greatest families. And cliché as it sounds, I wouldn’t trade that for anything in the world.

My time on staff has brought me so much joy, so many connections, that it’s hard to say goodbye. And, I say with all sincerity, that I will truly miss the newsroom and all of those who have had a part in it. And that’s the story of the newsroom.

-Chris Bower