Open letter to The Green Pride staff

I wish I could say that I am sad to be writing my last The Green Pride web story ever, but the truth is, I can’t wait to never open that chaotic, rainbow-colored spreadsheet titled “Web Story Schedule” ever again. However, before I drag the file to the tiny trash can icon and eliminate it from my sight forever, I first need to remove the word “missing” from its place next to my final story assignment by recognizing the highlights of my time on staff. 

This year has been a crazy one, to say the least. From hybrid to virtual to hybrid to full in-person, I want every single staff member to know how proud I am that we somehow managed to get out three full print issues this year. Learning how to use InDesign is not easy when Mr. Sullivan is sitting right next to you walking you through it, let alone during a glitchy Zoom call in a breakout room with three editors-in-chief who are still learning the ropes as well. 

To my co-editors-in-chief Lynlee and Hunter, thank you for getting me through this year. I know for sure that I could never have accomplished anywhere near what we have on my own. 

Lynlee, thank you for bringing me endless amounts of laughter throughout the past three years. I will never forget your impressive ability to complete your entire To Kill a Mockingbird project in the span of a single newspaper class period, your incredible caption writing skills, your hefty reliance on spell check, your favorite Halloween movie “The Conjurine” and your dumbfounded expression when you found out that you can in fact use the basic copy and paste function in InDesign. In all seriousness, you are an amazing human being and one of the most genuinely considerate people I have ever known. 

Hunter, thank you for being unapologetically yourself. As you know, I am not the most assertive person on staff (or on the planet), so you have no idea how appreciative I am for your willingness to, for lack of a better description, be the bossy one. I will be forever grateful for all of the times you told the other staffers to “listen to Ella” and called me out for my artistically questionable design ideas (although I think the wrecking ball dotted “i” would have been epic!). You’re going to do big things in life and I cannot wait to hear about them. 

Abby and Bella, good luck next year. As seniors, I’m excited for the experiences that your last year of high school will bring. I’ve appreciated getting to see you grow as staff members, and I hope that you continue to bring your positivity and cooperation to this publication next year. 

Jack and Ethan, although I have shared only a few interactions with the two of you in class this year, I’m glad we’ve shared the same struggle of turning in web stories on time. It’s truly uniting. However, I hope that all three of us leave our poor time management skills in this classroom when we walk out of the door for the last time. 

Emma H, thank you for the content that you have produced in your first year on staff. I often found myself questioning whether or not you were on staff last year just because I was so impressed with what you have done this year. You knew more about design in your first two months on staff than I did in my first two years, and you should be proud of that. 

Will, thanks for letting me drag you around with me to pass out newspapers this year. If there’s one thing you learn from our endeavors, let it be this: Never ask anyone if they want a newspaper, just throw it at them and run. Although this may seem like an unconventional method, we always end up with fewer leftover copies when I use it. 

Brady, thank you for your willingness to try new things, including writing satirical content for this year’s newspaper. Your “mask madness” parody is one of the only stories I can say that I have genuinely laughed out loud at while editing (aside from Jack’s four-sentence-long senior farewell). You did a great job, and I hope you continue to distribute similar content next year. 

Lindsay, Ashton, Emma K and Trever, I am more than impressed with what the four of you have been able to accomplish as first-year staffers. While our story idea sessions and designated page design days have not always been the most organized events, I am so appreciative of your willingness to work with us to create cohesive print issues that somehow manage to come together at the very last second.

Deleana, while you were not physically able to be with us this year, I am very impressed with your ability to remain such a crucial part of our staff. Despite the fact that I was only able to talk to you through a computer screen on most occasions, I appreciated having you as a part of our team this year. I hope your ability to battle adversity carries on to your senior year on staff. 

Mr. Sullivan, I would apologize for my college decision, but my apology would be nothing close to sincere. As much as it may stab your heart to know that I chose to attend your enemy school, I want to say thank you for allowing me to reach that decision with confidence. If it weren’t for this class, I wouldn’t have ever considered choosing a school based on its journalism program.

Although my journalism career at the University of Missouri might differ greatly from my time as a staff member for The Green Pride, I will, without a doubt, take what I have learned in this classroom and use it to my advantage. While I may never use my rolling black chair to get from point A to point B again, I will for sure hold onto the memories that I’ve made while sitting in it over these past three years.

Best wishes,

Ella Fixsen, Editor-in-Chief (for the last time)