From the people in black tailored suits and restrictive ties, we are told to never waste our time with the what-ifs. What-ifs steal our attention away from practicality and common sense. Such an inquiry dares the individual to step foot outside the box to a place of imagination, and once you occupy the path, you are claimed forever. Never again will you see colors by their names, but rather by the memories they evoke. Empty spaces void of meaning become your blank canvas and possibilities develop into blueprints. The one who asks the what-ifs tastes the clouds with Orville and Wilbur, shakes the hands of loyal readers like Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, and observes the Earth from the stars alongside Valentina Tereshkova. Among the dreamers sat Mr. Nash and Mrs. Sampson.
Our principal ventured outside the lines to ask, “What if Walton-Verona High School had a newspaper?” Instead of answering the question with quiet rejection, the journalism class was added to the roster. What started as words tossed around in a conversation snowballed into a website of articles written by students for students. Dipping out of the same stream of imagination to create some mortar, The Paw Press staff laid the first bricks, constructing a paper for any Bearcat to find news. Resting on the sturdy brickwork, the paper became a comprehensive reflection of the Walton-Verona community. Leveling the foundation, our journalists have been to as many football games as they have drama events. We have reported enthusiastically on both artistic victories and academic wins. In fulfilling my title of first editor of the school newspaper, my goal for the future of The Paw Press is to multiply the legacy on which it was founded.
As a first-year journalism student, the newspaper taught me to think adaptively and focus on the audience. In keeping the reader in mind, we created polls, interviewed various students, and reviewed page analytics. Working industriously to formulate a well-performing article also allowed me to appreciate the minute details. More notably, however, The Paw Press required a team effort. Whether it was bouncing off title possibilities or curating a specialized column, my team let me take a step back to watch their ideas take shape.
It was an honor to learn with my fellow journalists and write for such an excellent community. Walton-Verona High School patiently observed as the newspaper settled into a consistent outflux of Bearcat news. You expressed grace when we stumbled through interviews, hosted competitions, and experimented with various article forms. Just as I am grateful for our readers, I am also appreciative of the curious hypothetical hopes. The Paw Press is a tangible answer to a what-if question and should practice similar queries. I speak for each staff member when I say our desire lies in the vision of The Paw Press as a home to imaginative thinkers and a place where every voice can tell a story.
