I’ve always had a passion for writing, but before I joined Newspaper, I never felt that I could make a career out of it. Of course, when Audrey and I first decided to join the class for the fun of it, we weren’t expecting the class to become that deep. To be quite frank, we were looking for a class that would require minimal energy for our junior year elective, but I didn’t realize that Newspaper would help me figure out what I want to do with the rest of my life. Before joining, I was unsure of my path and losing my spark for creative writing, but somehow, Mrs. Tenbusch and my fellow classmates breathed new life into it. I first started realizing that my spark returned when Mrs. Tenbusch approached me about becoming a section editor a few weeks into the 2023-2024 school year. I was always told that I was a good writer, but I never really saw it pay off until this moment. As the year went on, I slowly started to take more responsibility within the class. I got into page designing halfway through the year with Audrey, and let’s just say that page is not winning any awards. However, the improvement from last year is something worth noting. Additionally, my motivation to write came back as my writing skills improved, and Audrey and I were offered the spot of editors-in-chief, filling in the previous editors’ places. 

  Although I’ve been thrown into leadership positions before, I’ve never taken such pride in my work as I do with the role of editor-in-chief. Audrey and I, with the great help of Tess Tarchak-Hiss and Aubrey Lawless, started the year strong by receiving a Sparty Award — the highest honor you can receive for work done during the one-week-long program at the  Michigan Interscholastic Press Association (MIPA) summer camp. From there, I chased that high of winning that award and put my all into the Newspaper. I was determined to take everything I learned from the previous editors, Morgan and Kendall, and implement my new ideas into our publication. Once I started trying to improve the paper, I couldn’t stop.

  While seeing the actual product of our publication’s work was extremely rewarding, the real reward came from the opportunities that I gained from this class. From the skills I learned while in this position, I gained the confidence to reach out to the Northern Express, which earned me an internship as an opinion columnist. Mrs. Tenbusch continued to fully support me and opened the doors to even more opportunities for growth. I started another internship with a writer/editor from Northern Michigan. While all this was happening, I was still balancing leading the Occidentalist. I spent countless hours after school in the Newspaper lab, editing and finalizing pages, drank about enough Alanis during first hour to kill a horse, and built my life around each deadline. Luckily, it all paid off. While sometimes it feels like I put my all into this publication, I am certain that I gained even more than I put in. From multiple awards from MIPA to exciting internships, Newspaper has set me up for my future. 

  However, I couldn’t have even gotten through this year without my loyal assistant editors, Aubrey and Tess. You two were truly the backbone to the Occidentalist and saved me and Audrey’s butts more times than I can count. Truly, the assistant editors are what made this entire year possible. Aside from Aubrey and Tess, I am so grateful to have built such strong bonds with many of the individuals in class. The people are truly what make the class, and the staff members of the Occidentalist pushed me, inspired me, and helped guide me to success as a future journalist. Additionally, Mrs. Tenbusch was the greatest advisor I could possibly ask for. Her driven personality gave me the support I needed to thrive and survive as editor-in-chief. 

  After I graduate, I am planning on attending the University of Wisconsin to study journalism and hopefully write for the Badger Herald. Thanks to the Occidentalist, my spark for writing returned and gave me a reason to keep moving forward. I am extremely proud of all our accomplishments as a student publication, and I am confident that Aubrey and Tess will lead the Occidentalist to another Spartan Award. I cannot thank everyone in the class enough for leading me to success, and I hope that I’ve encouraged others to do the same. Thank you to everyone who has read the Newspaper, my best friend and co-editor-in-chief, Audrey, who kept everyone in line and kept me sane, and most importantly, my father, whose strength carries me forward, even from the other side. 

  Signing off, your editor-in-chief, Sole Demeuse.