Oh, how does one even start? The Hatters’ Herald is a program that I have been a part of for a little over two years now…it feels like it was just yesterday when I walked into the classroom for the first time. As a senior editor, I have seen the highs and lows of this beautiful and unique program that we offer here at DHS. I promise that there really is no other club like The Hatters’ Herald offered here.

There are so many things I want to address! First, I want to thank the person who made it all possible: Ms. Stankiewicz (better known as Ms. Stank by her students). Ms. Stank has been the best guide I could ask for. She has always offered to give me a helping hand, whether I was asking who to interview, checking if something sounded grammatically correct, or seeking her opinion on the newest Drake album. Ms. Stank became the advisor for The Hatters’ Herald the same year that I joined, making the experience much more interesting as it felt like we were both trying to learn everything at the same time while also trying to better our program in any way possible. It has been so amazing to grow alongside her. She has always been there to listen to my ideas and really cares about the opinions students have. After all, this newspaper is supposed to bring out student voices, and she truly cares about what students think. She always asks for opinions from student writers before making a big change. I truly do not know the type of writer I would be without the help of one of my biggest supporters. A great club needs great leaders, and Ms. Stank is always working on ways to move our club to the next level. I am so excited to see what the future holds with her leadership.

The profession of journalism is something I will view differently for the rest of my life. I have spent hours online seeking advice from other journalists who have such strong passions for a profession that is supposedly “dying.” No other profession is constantly moving and always evolving like journalism. If you were to ask a journalist who started five or ten years ago how they got into the occupation, you would get completely different answers. The world is forever changing, and so are publications as they try their best to inform the public. On top of this, journalists are always getting ridiculed for doing their job, even if they are just finding the truth. There will always be certain stereotypes around journalism, but I believe it takes one to figure out that this is one of the most dedicated and deep jobs that one can get into. Journalists today use their time to keep us informed on what is going on around the world, with some even sacrificing their well-being. No matter the type of journalism that one might be in, whether it be covering the latest fashion trends or global events, one must realize that the dedication these people have is incredible and should be respected.

I have had the joy of writing many articles throughout my two years! Some, I will admit, were a pain to write, but they just had to be covered. Not only are you writing for yourself, but you are writing for your audience as well. One of my favorite articles I wrote was about the nationwide teacher shortage. I remember taking my sweet time on this one as I thought the matter was important to the whole school rather than just one demographic. This article was where I realized that I really had a voice. I spoke about how the lack of bilingual educators was only damaging our immensely diverse population. This felt empowering as I realized that I could advocate for my Hispanic community in a way that so many people could hear it. This truly is the beauty of the press. Other notable articles include “Is Minga really worth it?” and “Earthquake sends Danbury High School into lockdown.” The Minga article was extremely important due to it being such a controversial change for the school at the time. The earthquake was also so out of nowhere, which made it such a fun write. It is also, by far, my most popular article among readers. My favorite article was “The End of the Semester Is Here: These Are the Best and Worst Places to Cry.” I took inspiration from The Daily Orange, the school newspaper for Syracuse University, where they gave a list of the best places to cry during finals week. I quickly realized that I could make a version for DHS, and little did I know, it would be on everyone’s Instagram story the next day.

To anyone considering joining The Hatters’ Herald in the upcoming years, it was one of the best decisions I have ever made. This program teaches you how to really fight for things you want, such as interviews, information, and dibs on juicy stories. It also teaches you to be extremely personable, as a successful interview has so many components to it. I was also fortunate enough to make friends with some of the most amazing people I have ever met. Both years included my group of boys, with whom I could bounce ideas off of and also share a few laughs. I loved my time at The Hatters’ Herald and hope that more people will continue to improve this club in any way possible. As I move on to the next chapter in my life, I will cherish the skills and memories I have made in my two years forever and hope that these skills will be learned by many to come. I cannot wait to catch up with The Hatters’ Herald in any way I can!