With love and gratitude, the Class of 2022

Although the world has designated 2021 and 2022 as a “return to normalcy,” we have strived to stretch the King Street Chronicle beyond this cliché.  The past three years have challenged our school community to learn virtually, forge connections from six feet apart, and recognize the injustices surrounding us.  From these challenges, however, we have grown into an Ohana, devoted to equity and change.  In the Newsroom, we embody Ohana each day in our commitment to using journalism as a vehicle for social justice.  Now, as the academic year draws to a close, we reflect on our time leading the KSC with great respect and appreciation for our staff. 

We hold unique positions as the leaders, editors, and writers of an all-female publication.  Through the KSC, we are able to add a female perspective to global news and to create a community of empowered women.  It is our greatest hope that the staff members will leave the Newsroom with the language and confidence to articulate their beliefs within academic and professional environments.  We are truly humbled to lead a publication that prizes the voices of women.  

From our first day in Room 314 to our first classes on Zoom and, sadly, to our final day in the Newsroom, we have witnessed many leaders who have demonstrated the values of Ohana.  The wacky traditions, such as ringing the Gong and bringing in bark, and the supportive environment in the Newsroom bring the KSC staff together as a family.  Our online platform enables us to provide a school and digital community with unbiased and reliable news.  It is the closeness of the Newsroom that gives us the confidence to create change through media.  

As senior editors, we have grown into leaders, fortunate to follow the example of every staff member who came before us.  We entered the Newsroom in our sophomore year as nervous staff writers, wary of unfamiliar traditions and struggling to adhere to Style Guide rules.  While we came away with numerous inside jokes and fond memories, we also had the opportunity to witness remarkable leadership during challenging times.  We watched the 2019-2020 Editorial Board members navigate distance learning, Zoom breakout rooms, and accurate reporting during a global pandemic with grace, humor, and unwavering optimism.  As the youngest members of the KSC, we left that year with a deep respect for the integrity of the newspaper and an understanding of the significance of the roles we were about to fill.

During our junior year, we returned to school with face masks, shouldering new responsibilities and carrying a desire to pioneer the future of the KSC.  The 2020-2021 Editorial Board taught us the importance of collaboration and compassionate leadership.  While connecting with staff members across grade levels and asserting ourselves as new editors, we developed confidence in our abilities and strengthened our journalistic voices. 

We approached our final year as KSC journalists hoping to leave our mark on the paper, one comparable to the impact it has left on each of us.  We aimed to foster an environment in which each member of our staff felt empowered to thrive in her role and initiate change through her writing.  With great pride, we watched as our writers approached challenges with courage, flexibility, and a willingness to learn.  Words cannot express how grateful we are for the community that we have built on the staff of the KSC.  We spent this year learning not only to trust each other, but also to trust ourselves as talented writers and capable leaders.  

The Editorial Board extends our sincere thanks to the 2021-2022 staff.  We look forward to watching you lead the newspaper with pride and journalistic integrity.  We have no doubt that we are leaving it in capable hands.  As you become leaders in the Newsroom next year, cherish and depend on the community that the KSC provides and continue to strengthen your unique journalistic voices.  Media has an innate power to influence the world around us.  Always remember the weight and value of your work. 

Now, we thank our dear adviser, Ms. Larson, without whom we would not have such a successful publication or loving community.  There are no words to express the gratitude we feel towards Ms. Larson, who, in three short years, taught us more about writing, editing, and leading a newspaper than we could have imagined.  Under her guidance, we have learned how to act professionally, collaborate effectively, and lead compassionately.  Ms. Larson’s teaching will remain with us as we embark on new adventures next year.  

Ms. Larson, you are the vitality of the KSC.  You have shaped us into not only skilled writers and editors, but also empowered leaders.  More importantly, however, you have taught us how to be good people, leading by example with your intelligence, strength, grace, and humor.  You have imparted to us the importance of journalistic integrity and pride in our work.  We admire your incredible talent for crafting headlines, meticulousness surrounding images and videos, and ability to bring the Newsroom to tears of laughter.  

And now, we sign off.  As we leave the familiar hallways of Sacred Heart Greenwich, we look forward to utilizing the skills we have learned on staff to make our world more peaceful and equitable.  Our time on staff has been a joy that will remain with us throughout our lives as we rely upon the skills we learned in the Newsroom.  We are proud to have served as the 2021-2022 Editors-in-Chief and are confident that the Class of 2023 will continue the KSC‘s legacy of success and integrity.  We thank our staff, Ms. Larson, and, of course, all of our readers.

With love and gratitude,

Leah Allen ’22 and Claire Moore ’22