Coming into our last year in this program, every member of the Dispatch leadership team had a rough relationship with one another; we either didn’t know each other, were scared of each other, or blatantly hated each other. Despite this rocky start, these challenging (yet rewarding) six issues have brought us so much closer; we aren’t lying when we say we have cherished our time together, and share the utmost love and respect for our peers, friends, and fellow journalists. Without the effort that each leader has put into this program, we wouldn’t be able to call the Dispatch one of the best scholastic newspapers in the country.

Although we have put in significant work to this program, our success would have been impossible without the contributions of each and every member on staff. Every team has been faced with their own challenges, but we are so proud to see them overcome these complicated obstacles. These brilliant minds are growing into outstanding journalists, and it has been incredible to see every member on staff work to raise the standards of this already flourishing program. To our award-winning, investigative reporters, our innovative artists and photographers, and every other section of the program: we thank you.

We especially want to recognize the efforts of the multimedia team, who has truly redefined the Dispatch’s online presence. They have built their section from the ground up; this is the first year that we have had such a dedicated staff create such diverse, high-quality mediums of journalism that go beyond the print edition. This work has been instrumental to our success.

And thank you to Reeves for putting up with us, trusting us, and allowing us to freely practice the skills that will carry us into our college careers and futures beyond that. Between your support, your high expectations, and your passion, you have defined our time at this program. Thank you for the chances to fill up our quote books, and we wish you luck in your future career as a gangster rapper.

This April, the Dispatch received two ILPC Gold Stars, the highest recognition a scholastic journalism program can earn. These distinctions are a direct result of the students who have poured their energy into this program, and we are so proud to have had the opportunity to work with and lead these journalists. We love this paper, but more than that, we love our beautiful, talented, ambitious staff. We will miss y’all so much, but we can’t wait to hand this program down to the students who will lead this program into another wonderful year. Goodbye and good luck!