Letter from the Editor

By Bailey Peterson | Editor in Chief

June 16, 2015

In my last week as Editor in Chief of the Triton Times, I am looking back on all the moments that made this year so special. Waking up for zero period every morning for a non-required class and editing articles did not always seem ideal. There were definitely days I dreaded interviewing random classmates for articles and fixing punctuation (some writers were relentless in their grammatical errors). But at the end of each publishing cycle, it became worth every early morning as we were able to release our handwork to the school.

Newspaper class is a special place. We are a team of San Clemente High School computer geeks, literature enthusiasts, journalism fanatics, and nit-picky editors. We are comprised of different ethnic groups, grade levels, and personalities. We speak four different languages – including English, French, Spanish, and Japanese. We are athletes, theatre artists, and history buffs. From an outsider’s perspective, it seems as though this group has little in common. But together, we are the newspaper staff for Triton Times, a diverse weekly publication with articles ranging from local and national current events to reviews of school athletic events and plays.

It takes an assorted crew to make a final product with such a wide scope. The writers, editors, and photographers include a group of people I may never have met, let alone develop relationships with, had I not been a part of the Triton Times staff. When I assumed the responsibility as Editor in Chief, I had no idea how to connect so many independent and unique minds to create something so special.

We all have our own vision of what we expect the paper to become and represent. Some mornings are filled with passionate arguments about every minute detail of the paper, boiling down even to the color choice of the header. Yet, somehow, every week we all reach a consensus and publish articles that make us proud. It is a collaborative effort, entailing long “give and take” hours in room 204. We respect each other’s ideas, recognize each other’s weaknesses, and work hard together everyday.

I am so proud of the staff’s dedication and commitment this last 2015-2016 school year. It has been an honor to serve as Editor in Chief of this publication. In order for all our hard work to survive we need a favor from the student body; we need readership. No amount of parent or teacher readers will make this paper relevant. Only the students can do that.

I believe we can create a sense of community among all classes by keeping students up to date on all things San Clemente High School. My goal is to connect teachers and peers through discussion over controversial articles or breaking campus news. My hope is that newspaper will become a respected work of journalism. My parting wish is that the students decide to stand by this paper and let it continue to tell the stories of San Clemente High School.

Here’s to the future of Triton Times!