Senior VIRIDIAN Staff Give An Inside Scoop

With graduation right around the corner on May 23, seniors on the VIRIDIAN News staff answered questions about their experiences on the staff and in high school.
by Lauren Brandt

With graduation right around the corner on May 23, seniors on the VIRIDIAN News staff answered questions about their experiences on the staff and in high school.

Q: What is your favorite thing about VIRIDIAN News?

• Jordan Jones: It gives me an opportunity to be creative and enhance my craft in journalism because I am going to pursue a career in journalism. I also love learning new things about the school, and I love that I’m the Junior Editor of entertainment because I’m obsessed with all things entertainment: music, fashion, food, movies, etc. My life is all about being entertained, so this was the perfect thing for me.

 

• Paulina Rodriguez: In this class, you can learn a lot about many different things: photography, sports and school events, entertainment events, how to write better, and artistic stuff.

 

• Sydoni Shaw: I like how you can be creative, and it’s a class where you can find out about school events, media, and other people while learning at the same time.

Q: What has been your favorite article you written?

• Sydoni Shaw: It would be the Artist Spotlight on Joshelyn Vizcaya because it was so cool finding out about her passion for art and how it relates to her culture.

 

• Cheyenne Tolleson: I wrote the very first article on the website, and it was super fun, but it was also super stressful because I knew it would be the first one… I was laying down the foundation of what the class is going to be later on. 

Q: How did your senior year go?

• Paulina Rodriguez: Honestly, I preferred last semester. This semester wasn't terrible, but I would go back because it hadn’t sunk in the fact that I’m a senior. Now, it’s sunk in because I’m going to be leaving all my underclassmen friends and my classmates and I are all about to leave and I am going to miss everyone.

 

• Cheyenne Tolleson: This year, I was able to dedicate all my time to be better prepared for my career path which is journalism. It was definitely the most productive year and the only year where I’ve grinded the whole time.

 

• Ashlynn Stewart: My senior year has been different than what I expected, which is good because I was expecting it to be awful. It’s been really impactful in the way that I have changed and have become a better person. The only real change that can happen is the change inside yourself. 

Q: How did you feel about being the first seniors on the team?

• Jordan Jones: I am honored to be one of the first seniors on the staff because I helped create this class, and we helped establish this. It was like a business startup. I enjoyed being a part of it and how our opinions mattered and were used.

 

• Cheyenne Tolleson: It was very stressful because many of the new people in the class didn’t have any background in journalism, so I felt very pressured to teach all these people all at once, and I was trying to get everyone up to speed. I ended up being able to enjoy it once I realized that everyone was adapting beautifully so quickly.

 

• Paulina Rodriguez: I feel honored, and I see the younger kids in here and realize that they don’t know how lucky they are to be able to continue being a part of this team.

 

• Jasmine Morales: I’m happy I got to be part of the team, but I’m sad because I won’t get to experience this class ever again. I wish we could have done this sooner, so we could’ve had more years in this class.

Q: How are you feeling about leaving high school?

• Ashlynn Stewart: Leaving high school is making me nervous because this has been my life for the past 12 years, and I’m scared that I’m not going to know what to do with myself after.

 

• Jasmine Morales: I’m sad, but I’m also excited. I am also getting emotional about leaving high school, so I’m probably going to cry my last few days. At the same time, I’m excited to finally be out.

 

• Sydoni Shaw: I am ready to leave high school and start the next part of my life with my career and a successful lifestyle.

Q: What are your plans after you graduate?

• Jasmine Morales: I plan on going to college and majoring in business marketing, and I’ll be working at a job over summer.

 

• Jordan Jones: My plan is: first, get a summer job. Then in August, I will be attending the University of Alabama, and I will be pursuing a degree in news media. From there, I plan to go to law school just for entertainment law. I also have hopes of also being a news reporter.

Q: Are you excited about going to college? Why?

• Ashlynn Stewart: I plan to go to GGC (Georgia Gwinnett College) and get my doctorate in psychology. I am super excited because I’ve been waiting since my sophomore year to get this degree.

 

• Sydoni Shaw: I am excited for college because I’m excited about meeting people, making new friends, and learning more about my major.

Q: What advice would you give underclassmen?

• Cheyenne Tolleson: High school is a great opportunity to find out what you’re passionate about, so find whatever your thing is and run with it because this is a very sheltered environment. I also advise that you don't overlook some of the smaller classes and options. Try everything.

 

• Paulina Rodriguez: I think it is very important to understand how credits work and to know what you’re doing in the future. Keeping that going will give you insight for what’s coming in the future.

 

• Jasmine Morales: My advice is to be here and do not be late. It also helps if you join clubs and be involved in them. Don’t just pay the dues, be involved and participate.

Q: Would you recommend Viridian News class to underclassmen?

• Jordan Jones: I would absolutely recommend this class, but only if you have discipline and work ethic because people want quality content, and if you don't wanna be here, it’s evident in your work.

 

• Ashlynn Stewart: I would recommend this class to people who have great social skills and to people who have lots of artistic and creative abilities.

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• Cheyenne Tolleson: I would recommend everyone to take at least one of our [Walnut Grove’s] journalism classes because you learn a style of writing that is not very expressed or taught much in many other classes… and it is beneficial for jobs in the future. Journalism is also a great way to be involved in events while not actually being involved. You get to be a part of the school from the sidelines while honing the crafts of writing and conversation and photography.