Sitting in the Herbert Hoover Middle School computer lab on a cold January day, I remember feeling overjoyed to finally have the freedom to pick my classes, specifically journalism. I had already started running my own sports blog on the side, so I had solid writing experience to go off of. However, when freshman year rolled around I found myself screwed over by poor class scheduling and stuck in the Yearbook J1 class. That sucked to say the least. But, it didn’t stop me from achieving my journalistic goals.

Flash forward a year, and I finally made my way into the real newspaper class. Luckily, there were some editor spots left and I was made assistant news editor. There, I learned quickly how to write articles the Observer way, how to edit constructively and how the overall style of the class worked. I vowed to try as hard as I could to make my way up the newspaper hierarchy, and my passion for writing helped this come to fruition. I was eventually the sports editor as a junior and finished my high school journalism career as Editor-in-Chief, working in tandem with some of my best friends. 

Doing work for the Observer is so much easier than other classes, as it has never felt like a chore. Getting to take an hour of my time to sit down and write about whatever my heart desires has helped me relax and develop many crucial life skills. Yet, I feel like I’ve taken my time here for granted and can count too many times where I procrastinated Observer work or failed to put in my best simply because it was not “as prestigious” of a class compared to the many AP classes I took in my latter years of high school. To all future Observer writers, please do not do this. Write every article like it is your last, and strive to put in work that your future self would be proud of. 

As I sit here in the backroom of the J writing what will be my final Observer article, I am overwhelmed with so many different emotions. Sad to leave my second home behind, yet excited to move on to my next chapter at the University of Virginia. Scared for what the future holds, but confident that I will always find my place if I stick to my gut. The J has taught me well, and I know that what I have learned here will make me a better person in the next phase of my life. 

The Newspaper, The J, The Churchill Observer and Journalism are just some of the names we use to call this class, and the paper it revolves around. Noticing my classmates using the names interchangeably, I cannot help but think that the variety of names we call this place are an apt representation of the community we have built throughout the years in Room 243. In my time here, the J has been accepting of all, open-minded towards new ideas and composed of a unique group of students that have vastly different interests. There truly is no place like The Observer, and I would like to thank all of my classmates as well as Ms. Zitnik for making this place the best 45 minutes of any school day. 

I am trying to find the proper way to conclude my final article ever for The Observer, and the classic cliche endings I always use keep crossing my mind. I have always strived to make my writing so formal in order to sound intelligent and get them published. But this time, there is no point. So, I will end my article and therefore my writing career in The Observer the only way I see fit. Ryan Weiner… out (cue mic drop and round of applause).