Jacson Richards gives the countdown to the last “Galaxy News” episode for the Seniors on May 14. Lucas Bakken and Bella Brandi anchor this episode.

I don’t post here often, because this is the STUDENTS’ newspaper, not the faculty’s, not the administration’s, not the community at-large’s. The STUDENTS’.

But there is something this year that brings about a celebration for our journalism department… the numbers behind our 2024-25 school year.

A Little History (aka reminiscing)…
We started this department in Spring 2020, with our first Intro to Journalism course, with three students (shout out to Sophie, Aden and Maggie!) And two months into the semester, we all went home at Spring Break to not return until August. We had a bit of a rough start.

Looking back over the past four school years, we have had 27 editors “graduate” from our program. Some may have been here for a semester to get their feet wet in the genre or to simply fill a spot in their schedule; and this was across broadcast, yearbook and newspaper.

We started “Galaxy News”. We started publishing on “The Orbit”. We added a whole new room for the newsroom! We have celebrated Olivia’s accomplishment of 100 published articles. We enjoyed “Michael on the Street” episodes so much that teachers STILL reminisce about it. We added streaming games with Tyler, Charlie, Will, and Eli announcing those games and meets, and then we added Jacson into the announcing stream last year, and he finally decided to join the class this year :).

And this was all amongst the wonderful memories we created in the news room…when Tyler, Charlie and Eli took the mummified fish out of Ancient Civ and somehow dared each other to eat it. And at least one of them did.
We added what has become traditions of our “family”: Thanksgiving potlucks and Secret Santas, Bloopers from “Galaxy News”, Senior gifts, Seniors painting their bricks, series episodes that have become favorites of everyone in the room (and outside of it too.) And this is NOT to top the sing-a-long in the van on the way back from the Iowa High School Press Association at the University of Iowa. (This is one of my absolute favorites! Who knew Eli could sing so well AND sing so much Disney!) And this year while doing Ad Sales, Jace and Mrs. Stubbs talked about getting matching tattoos…and I delivered those yesterday (they were the temporary kind.)

A little more numbers, a lot more of everything and everyone…

But THIS school year, 2024-25, we have put out a few other important numbers: We published our 150th episode of “Galaxy News” online in December (though I know of at least two episodes that never got published). Zoe published her 100th article (and almost snuck it in under the radar on all of us!). We had 5 new Senior editors join us at semester.  AND today, we have 12 seniors graduating from our program this year, the largest number in one school year thus far.

Of those students, we have Zoe and Ali who have been with the program for 5 semesters, and Bella and Lucas who have been with us for 8 semesters…that’s right. Four straight years, every day, with Mrs. Stubbs and Mrs. Trier…could there be anything better?!

Ali, I hope all the hair ties find their way to college with you. My desk drawer will now have an abundance of them 🙂
Zoe, your writing impressed me from our first meeting in Creative Writing, and I am so glad you came over to “the dark side” to journalism, and found your niche.
Bella, we will always be able to go back and look at the funny parts of our classes with the blooper reels you were always preparing for…and your aerials in the Intro to “Galaxy News” are a tradition I will miss.
Lucas, you will forever be etched in my mind as the one rolling across the room in the Intro to “Galaxy News”, and there will NOT be an Intro that is as memorable as the ones you have created the last two years. The music, the graphics, the edited accomplishment…you will go far in your Cinematic career.

To all of our journalists: I know I did not name everyone here, but I have not forgotten ANY of you. Thank you ALL for your accomplishments here in the newsroom, your willingness to try something new, your dedication in your time here, and the legacy you have created for classes to come.