Letter from the Editor

When I was first given the position of editor, I received a copy of an AHS newspaper from 2005. It is printed on actual newsprint with photos to accompany each article. It is centered around school news and student opinions and the effort it took to create the paper can be clearly seen through its quality. Now, looking at a copy of the Union Street Journal from 2016, I can’t help but wonder where along the road the newspaper began to decline. I know how much effort it takes to put out an entire newspaper, and I can understand how editors past have been content with just putting something out there. But it seems like the newspaper cannot simply coast along much longer. It needs to gain momentum, to truly be an integral part of the school and not just a side note.

I feel an overwhelming sense of responsibility to start implementing some radical changes. The newspaper is how students communicate, and it's how we share our ideas and build off of ideas from others. The newspaper is a place where it’s the students who matter, and where we can make our opinions heard. We cannot let the Union Street Journal become obsolete. This year, I am hoping that the members of newspaper can take the Union Street Journal’s rocky foundation and turn it into something that can be built off of in the years to come. But even if we manage to restore the newspaper to the status it was at in 2005, it would mean nothing if the students didn’t get involved. Being involved in the newspaper can mean submitting ideas, and maybe even writing some articles, but it can also mean simply reading the newspaper when it comes out. Publishing a newspaper is no easy task, and it means so much to the writers when they see people reading and enjoying something they have created.

I’m going to keep the copy of the 2005 newspaper on my desk as inspiration and as a reminder of what the school newspaper can be. And I believe that through the hard work of the members of newspaper, and through the cooperation and involvement of the students, the Union Street Journal can one day inspire another hopeful editor.

Yours Truly,

Samantha Schultz