Letter from the editor
Dear reader,
Four years ago, I wrote my first article for The Reckoner. I don’t remember what I wrote, but it can’t have been very good because my manager rephrased over half of my sentences. Even so, I still remember the pride I felt contributing to the newspaper, in writing something that mattered. Now, as I sit here writing my final article (of sorts) for The Reckoner, I am filled with that same pride (and this time no one has permission to rephrase my sentences).
I am incredibly proud of everyone who has played a part in The Reckoner, no matter how small. Some might say that nothing could have prepared us for what would happen this year, but you have shown me time and again that together as a paper we are prepared to adapt to ever-changing circumstances. Running a newspaper during a pandemic is certainly not how I pictured my last year of high school, but being online gave us new opportunities to connect and collaborate with each other. Our digital editions became so much greater than I could have imagined. We continued to write about important issues within our school, our community, and our world.
I hope you know you are part of something that matters.
As we mark the tenth year of the paper, I’m reminded of those who have gone before me. I follow in the footsteps of a decade’s worth of students who were driven and determined to create a platform for our voices to be heard. They have allowed me the privilege of having a newspaper to be part of and I owe them my deepest gratitude.
I’m not sure I’m ready to let go of The Reckoner just yet, at least not before I say a proper goodbye. I’ll miss the excitement of seeing the many moving pieces come together to create each edition. I’ll miss brainstorming ideas for new articles and columns, and for ways to make the paper better. As crazy as it sounds, I’ll even miss the late nights of editing and the sleep deprivation that accompanies the week leading up to print editions.
Most of all I’ll miss being part of this community that welcomed me in and challenged me to go out into the world in search of stories to tell and voices that needed to be heard. The Reckoner has opened my eyes to the talent and passion of our student body, and I hope it has done the same for you.
Before I take my leave, I’d like to thank the many people who made this unpredictable year such a wonderful journey.
To our staff advisors, Ms. Lajeunesse, Ms. Woodley, Mr. Pearce, and Ms. Grant, thank you for being so generous with your time and effort. I will forever be grateful for your insightful feedback and endless support.
To Sarah, I don’t know if anyone else in your position could have put up with me for this whole year, but I’m glad you did. Thank you for your patience and compassion. Thank you for listening to my rambling (and ranting), proofreading everything I wrote, and responding to my frantic late night messages. You are the best deputy I could have asked for.
To the executive team, thank you for stepping up and taking on everything thrown at you. Thank you for pouring your hearts into The Reckoner despite this year’s many challenges. Thank you for trusting me to guide us through unfamiliar territory and for taking my ideas and running with them. I continue to be amazed at what we’ve achieved together and what you are capable of.
To the members of the Tenth Guard, without you none of this would be possible. Thank you for every article, opinion, story, poem, art piece, illustration, and photograph. Thank you to my non-content boards, who never get enough credit for their hard work. It is thanks to you that this letter—and every piece we publish—can be read. Thank you to Web Board for keeping our website running, to Print Board for producing beautiful layouts on tight deadlines, to Outreach Board for spreading awareness about all our happenings. Although we might not have met face to face, I’m honoured to have worked alongside each and every one of you.
To you, the reader, thank you for supporting The Reckoner. I hope that you’ve enjoyed reading. I hope you learned something new, or heard a new perspective. I encourage you to stay engaged with your community and the world around you. If you have the opportunity, consider joining the Eleventh Guard—The Reckoner would love to have you. Wherever life takes you, I hope that you find a way to make your voice heard.
Part of me doesn’t want to finish writing this letter, to admit that my time with The Reckoner is coming to its end. Saying goodbye is so hard, but it is made easier knowing that the paper is in good hands. To Sumedh and his team, I’m confident that you will accomplish amazing things next year. Have fun with the paper and know that I’ll be cheering you on from afar. I can’t wait to read the next edition.
With Love,
Jacqueline Huo
Editor in Chief
