A Letter From the Editor

Kimmie Barnes
Editor-in-Chief
Dear Reader,
  Howdy! My name is Kimmie, and I am the Editor-in-Chief for The Bonneville Buzz newspaper 2022-2023. The chances that you are reading this, and you are either not a part of The Buzz or have a loved one on the staff is fairly slim; however, if you do not fall under these two categories, your presence is a welcome surprise. Today or whenever you are reading this, I will be telling you, dear reader, about The Bonneville Buzz newspaper and The Buzzcast podcast because we are gravely underrated and unappreciated. 
  I would say that about 92 percent of the students and staff at Bonneville High School are unaware that BHS even has a newspaper let alone a podcast! I do not have any real data to make that potentially hyperbolic claim, but after four years of being on the newspaper staff, I have a pretty good idea of our standing in this school. I will concede that our “popularity” has significantly decreased because we do not print the paper anymore *sad face*. Well-known or not, The Buzz is still pumping out articles and episodes. 
  I will start by telling you about how the class works. First things first, we are officially known as the journalism class, and we write the school newspaper. The staff is made up of an eclectic group of people who love to write. A passion and appreciation for writing is a must to be successful in journalism. As a staff, we try to focus on Bonneville and community based topics for both our website and podcast. If you play a sport, participate in theater or choir, are a new teacher, or have accomplished something impressive, there is a chance we have written about you or the people around you. Time in class is spent brainstorming, writing or recording, editing, publishing, and partying if deadlines are met. The work can be challenging and motivation is often difficult to find, but the final product is rewarding and almost as fulfilling as the relationships made in the class.
  The Buzz staff is composed of staff writers and different editors, but everyone writes and edits. While there is a form of hierarchy, our advisor and editors work hand-in-hand to make decisions that will benefit the staff. There is no looming authority that one person is better than the other because of their “status” or “title”. The first trimester is typically the biggest our group gets because people sign up for the class without knowing what it is or it just appears on their schedule. The number of people who deliberately join the class is not significant. While the extra bodies are always nice, the numbers tend to diminish by the time the second trimester rolls around, with the exception of a few stragglers who wander into the class; however, with the decrease in size, a stronger connection between the staff writers, editors, and advisor begins to grow. By the middle of second and third trimester, the staff is usually a very close and comfortable team. In journalism, we talk, laugh, procrastinate, and cry together. We are much like a family in the sense that editors still get angry when deadlines are missed, we do not always agree with each other, and we definitely annoy each other sometimes. At the end of the day, or the end of the class hour I should say, we love and care about each other and only wish the best for one another (apologies for the sap). 
  To end my final rantings about the small but significant journalism class, I want to express my appreciation for The Bonneville Buzz. I never imagined a class where pretty much all you do is write would create such a lasting impact on my life. I learned so many life and grammatical lessons. I made countless meaningful relationships. I saw great people grow. As my time as a member of The Buzz staff comes to a close, I sincerely hope that writers will meet their deadlines, interviewees will answer their emails, journalism will spark a passion in more students, and that this newspaper will last forever. In retrospect, not many people are going to read this article, but whether this is your first or a millionth time reading our newspaper, thanks for stopping by, and I hope you find an article you like and come back again soon. Go Bees! 
Signing Off as Editor-in-Chief,
Peace Out! Kimmie Barnes