A new year means a new staff for The Bell. I’m the new Editor-in-Chief (EIC) and I’m optimistic about what we will accomplish this year.

This year’s staff has a lot of potential based bootcamp we have at the beginning of the year.         Newspaper now has 14 writers, which hasn’t happened in a long time and they’re all coming from Advanced ELA classes or Kintsugi which means they’re all experienced writers.

This means more opportunities to publish more stories and have more online stories published frequently. It’s a lot of pressure making sure we meet deadlines and everything is organized. Luckily I have reliable leadership.

PhotoJay EIC Emma McDonald has done a great job keeping them organized and ready for the first issue. I’m looking forward to having them in class this year to increase communication and work ethic.

This first issue might be rough with getting used to tough edits and designs, but that’s okay because practice makes perfect. Our leadership is always willing to help and I’m proud about how far they’ve come as well. The Section Editors (SE) are stepping up to help their reporters and they’re doing amazing so far. Designing is an aspect of the class we all struggle with, but the SEs have improved and this year’s designs will be creative, unique and professional.

Caty, Derek and I have worked hard these past couple of months to prepare for the first issue of the 2021-22 school year. I redesigned the newspaper to create a modern look for The Bell.

It is a lot of pressure for me personally to follow last year’s EIC, Regan Johnston’s All Missouri award at State. I’m confident this year’s staff will do well, but I want to ensure success for my staff. Our designs and stories need to be perfect to be able to match Johnston, who led us to win the award at State. I have some big shoes to fill, but I’m excited for the new year and the new staff.