Dear readers,
I was recently reminded that my tenure in The Chomp ends on June 23. Graduation. Over the last three years, I’ve been a very occasional writer for The Chomp. In total, I’ve written eight other articles. I could have graduated without a sound, but the 19-month-old “Featured Gator: Oliver Crumrine” is still in my three most recent. And that was the last time I praised something about this school!
Despite the few articles I’ve written, I wrote on my senior survey that I was the most notorious member of The Chomp. And I do think that’s true. Only four of my articles are ones where I raised a concern over something happening at the school, and in that time, three caused an issue. But let me repeat that: only four of my articles are ones where I complain about the school. That’s an accomplishment in administration.
In my Zoom seventh-grade year, by contrast, I was very trigger-happy with my school email, sending maybe a hundred emails with teachers and Mr. Raba. I had concerns and no respect for what was considered appropriate or normal means of voicing them. I have learned some restraint since then; my drafts folder now weighs 130 unsent emails. Actually, what I learned was to be scared of sending emails because even “my article is going to be late” takes me at least a few rereads to send.
In this time, then, what has prevented me from writing articles? I am a constant procrastinator, for one. It has been said that there is no such thing as a non-procrastinator, but there are definitely shades to it, and I am a bad case. Even now, I started this article two days before it was due. In this case, procrastination might have been beneficial, as I find it produces better results. The time crunch on my college applications made better essays than the personal essay I spent weeks on. But this is the newspaper, and I hold myself to a semi-rigorous standard.
Aside from my unfruitful attempts to get Mr. McGowan to appear as a featured teacher, I haven’t managed to find a topic about which I can write without being a complete nerd or a complete pain in the neck. Both are fine, but what’s the point in writing for no one to read? NJ Transit is a great article topic, but I found that no amount of italics can change how little people care. And generally speaking, the things I’ve held dear here are things other people called stupid, like the friend-group Deer Club!
There was one article planned for the “student voices on AI series.” I figure I should at least tie in that end. Last year, Gateway received an AI grant, and the plan was to report on where that money went, a more difficult task than expected. As it turns out, OPRA reporting is exhausting for someone who can barely send an email. Any pushback must result in another email; I’ll fold instead. Alas!
I think I’ve done some good. I’ve spent some of my time complaining about some minor inconvenience I ran into, like jeans in PE. Maybe speaking your mind is more important than the concrete results. I found it very funny how many students felt it appropriate to insult me over that article. It is as if these things are simply unworthy of consideration to them. How is anything meant to change when something so minor causes such a stir?
I will miss going to the monthly Chomp meeting and being turned to at the end for an opinion article. It’s ironic that someone as controversial as me could struggle to answer that call so often. And I will also miss the social aspect of the meeting, which I had a tendency to extend into the planning time.
Carry on. It’s been nice. Bye!
