Like any ending, leaving behind the Bishop O’Dowd halls is bittersweet. As I get close to finally putting on the cap and gown I’ve yearned for every time I study for the next math test, write another lit journal for Ms. Early, or get halted on the quad for morning prayer when I’m late to class, I’ve begun to reflect on all the things I am grateful for here and the things I am having a hard time leaving. Scrolling through the many memories on my camera roll and scuffling through my piles of old notebooks, I’ve continually returned to the number one thing I feel I cannot leave: The Crozier.

I began taking journalism my sophomore year, and it was almost instantly that I became attached to the activity for the rest of my high school career; I never wanted to leave the chaos of room 104, nor the singing tones of Mr. Barnes’ voice, or hours-long editing sessions that leave my eyes sore. After being elected Editor-In-Chief my junior year, Mr. Barnes and I embarked on the harrowing journey of shifting a 60-year legacy of a printed newspaper into an online platform. Throughout that year, I watched reader numbers grow from 100 to 2000 a month, and it was then that I felt more gratified than I ever have before.

Although I’ll forever treasure the editing skills I’ve gained from my position on The Crozier and the many late nights of reading aloud other’s writing, trying to find the perfect grammatical phrase, or banging my head against my desk when I see yet another passive phrase, it’s the writing that has been most impactful for me. Writing articles has become my outlet for expressing the things I see are wrong or interesting around me. Although this was sometimes to the Administration’s avail, I will forever be grateful for the opportunities working on The Crozier gave me to use my voice and make a change.

Finally, I am forever indebted to Mr. Barnes, my mentor, for teaching me everything I know about editing, writing, and strong leadership. I will take these skills into college and my life after. Thank you for everything, Mr. Barnes. 

I look forward to passing on my role to the intelligent and brilliant Orelia Oiknine. I know she will carry on the legacy that The Crozier has made on the O’Dowd community.

Finally, to all future journalism class members, I look forward to reading your articles. Remember that your voices matter and you have the ability to change the injustices you see around you. Don’t let anyone make you feel otherwise.

Signing off,  Former Editor-In-Chief Sylvie Richards