For four years I have studied and worked for the “Bulldog Tribune”. Now that I will be graduating (hopefully) this June, I want to reflect on my experience during my four years at the “Bulldog Tribune”, the exchange of Newspaper advisers, and a pandemic. 

I started this journey with Ms. Sholl, the previous teacher since Stone Bridge opened in 2000. Ms. Sholl was an amazing mentor with decades of experience in the realm of news writing. It was because of her that I decided to continue pursuing Journalism in my sophomore year. However, later that year, COVID-19 would hit the U.S., sending everyone into quarantine and drastically affecting the “Bulldog Tribune” for the next year.

While I had the necessary skills to write a proper article, the sudden start of the pandemic stifled my education. Because of online learning, my first year at the “Bulldog Tribune” was a trial by fire. And the feeling of disconnect that came with learning behind a screen didn’t help alleviate the struggle. Though it was a tough year for the newspaper, it ushered in a new era. That year, the “Tribune” was forced to make the transition from print to digital with the newspaper class of 2020-2021 at the helm. It was at the end of that year that Ms. Sholl, my original teacher, retired, and the leadership for the next year transferred to Mr. McClelland, the current adviser of our school newspaper.

The shift between teachers was a game changer for my education as only four students from the previous year had returned (most of the class was seniors), making half the class newcomers. This was a much needed refresh for my academic career as we spent the first few weeks relearning and refining news writing skills for veterans and newbies alike. Because Mr. McClelland was new to the “Tribune” world, there was also a drastic change in structure and procedure. Though junior year completely changed the status quo, the back-to-basics environment helped restore my confidence in writing.

Going into senior year, I wanted to expand my horizons and focus more on other forms of news, like broadcasting. I took up the Alternative Media Editor role and put more focus on the morning announcements. By May, I had mastered the art of broadcast and print journalism. My four years of studying newspapers had culminated in this moment.

Originally, I had no interest in taking the class because my writing abilities weren’t as strong. However, now that I am reaching the end, I realize that my writing skills have improved dramatically and how much the Bulldog Tribune has affected me throughout high school. With my experiences in mind, I encourage anyone who has the slightest interest in journalism or broadcasting to take the plunge.