Dear Green Pride staff,

Here we go. My last web story ever. After four years on staff it’s hard to believe it is my turn to be writing one of these.

It has been a crazy year. However, despite the crazy scheduling and catch up from excessive snow days, I am so proud of what we have done this year. I always joke that the paper only got better because we replaced Kiona and started using Roboto as out headline font, but you all are what made the paper better this year.

Between the eight issues we have put out this year, there are so many amazing page designs and stories that you all should be proud of. Seriously, we have stepped up our game this year and it has really paid off. What we do for the school is special (despite what the handful of ignorant haters in the student body think). We are so lucky to go to a public school where we have free press, allowing us to cover the issues we feel necessary or important. That has shown through this year for many of us when we wrote about things like administration policies, the government shutdown or even my Brett Kavanaugh story that I received hate mail for (highlight of my journalism career).

There were many things that came out of this year that surprised me and made my fourth year of newspaper special. One of those things is Daniel and Cody’s addition to our journalism department: The Green Pod. I hope that next year a couple staff members keep it alive and continue to provide De Soto High School’s podcast enthusiasts the quality content they deserve.

Another surprise from this year that made me proud was the long awaited meme issue. The meme pride has been joked about since my freshman year on staff and the fact that we actually produced and published it is definitely an achievement. Not only was it fun for us to finally do, but I think it really boosted morale during a part of the school year that is usually kind of dead for the student body.

Newspaper has always been my favorite part of highschool, and I am so glad that I got to share my last year of it with you all. You all have worked your butts off to improve the paper this year, and I can only hope that you all continue to do so in the years to come. So: Ellie, Abby, Clara, Sam, Camryn, Maggie, Hayley, Cody, Daniel, Peyton, Justine, Erin, Lauren, Erica, Maddie, Ella, Hunter, Diego, Oliver and Lynlee, I thank you all from the bottom of my heart for making my last year as a member of The Green Pride one to remember.

With love,

Lizzy Arnold, Editor-in-chief (for the last time)