I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t sad about the unceremonious way The Journal — the print version, anyways — ended. We had just wrapped up a Thursday production night when the news broke that students would be trying out e-learning for that next week, followed by two weeks of spring break and a whole haze of uncertainty after that. There was the possibility that we would return, I suppose, but I think deep down we all knew that we wouldn’t be seeing Southport for a while. 

And just like that, the other seniors and I would never work on a print issue of The Journal again. If I would have known that Thursday was to be my last ever production night, I think I might have done things differently. I would have taken a moment to sit down and savor the little things, like the bright lights of the computer lab and the early page drafts spread across the table and Mr. K’s Pandora music playing faintly from inside the classroom. I’d have walked up to all the staff members and told them individually how much I valued their hard work that year. I’d have said my goodbyes to the back room, mice included (Thank you for the laughs, Remy). 

It’s OK for me to be a little sad about those Journal moments I missed out on, just like it’s OK for all the seniors to feel disappointed about this unexpected series of events in their last year. But, we adapt. We get creative. 

It’s been an interesting transition here at The Journal. Now that we’re completely online, communication is definitely harder. It can be challenging to contact sources and interview them before a deadline, and I would really like to thank our staff for still producing strong content during this period of such turbulence. They do The Journal proud. 

We’re dedicated to providing our breaking news and human interest pieces for the rest of the year. There are a lot of high-quality stories, photos and graphics in the works that we can’t wait to share with you. Continue to check The Journal Rewired and our social media to view more of our recent content. Although we can’t all be together, The Journal family is still working hard and committed to the Southport community.