This year is unprecedented. Throughout high school I looked forward to my senior year with anticipation. I expected it to be the apex of my teenage experience. And in many ways it was, yet it also turned out very different than I had expected.

Initially I thought that with fewer and easier classes my friends and I would have grown much closer and spent all kinds of time together. While we did grow closer it seems much of that growth took place at school. As it turns out, most of my friends have girlfriends and jobs this year so instead of having ridiculous amounts of time for each other, we are all busy.

Another interesting twist to my senior social life is that I am still single. I fully expected that by this time I would have a girlfriend myself, yet that amenity has been denied me. Unexpectedly I am at peace with this circumstance; as a result I have developed good friendships with many different girls while having time to hold down a job and graduate with a 4.0.

Academically, senior year was a break. Although AP classes added a significant amount of weight to my workload, the senior classes provided a more relaxed atmosphere and were not a source of major stress.

The most significant source of stress this year was the college and scholarship application processes. Spanning the whole year, it takes a lot of time, individual initiative and responsibility. Remembering due dates and finishing essays on time in addition to doing schoolwork can be challenging. I took several memorable trips to the post office early in the morning after a full night of writing to drop off applications on the day they were due.

In all my years of high school, the single biggest commitment and endeavor I undertook was to be the Editor-in-chief of The Feather. When Greg Stobbe, adviser, approached me freshman year and presented the opportunity to me with grand visions of past success stories and potential benefits and helpful skills I would gain from the experience, I thought I had no choice but to accept.

However he ‘conveniently’ forgot to mention all the hours of arduous toil associated with producing a newspaper, the missed lunch breaks and time after school spent fine-tuning until you hate the sight of your creation before each deadline.

In the end, all the labor had some rewards. Personally I have gained many skills from improved writing to graphic arts and layout. My confidence in my abilities and skills has grown as they have been stretched and used. Through the hard work and commitment of Stobbe, all the editors and reporters, The Feather has reached unprecedented heights this year.

For the first time in The Feather’s history the paper was completely controlled by the editors, Stobbe only advised. During this transition of authority the staff wrote 460 articles, a record number, and at least one new article was posted online everyday.

In addition, the adviser was gone longer than ever before between eye surgery and a trip to New York. During both of these absences, the paper was entirely in the hands of the editors and staff without daily supervision and they continued to produce without a hitch.

Though different, this last year of high school has been a good one. I am looking forward to college and the future beyond, but the memories I have made will stay with me the whole way.