Welcome back!

Today, we are half-way through the first full week of the 2016-2017 school year at BV. This building is buzzing with excitement. There is energy everywhere, from the loud crowds in the senior hallways to the nerves amongst the many freshmen wandering the halls.

Over the summer, my co-editor Meg and I were crazy busy traveling all over the country. Some of the places I had the opportunity to visit again this summer were Hawaii, New York City, North Carolina, Indianapolis and other various weekend destinations. Meg visited Nashville, Colorado and Gulf Shores, along with western Kansas for a mission trip.

Our first paper day was last Friday, and I’m extremely happy to say that it was a success! Students and teachers alike were very excited about the summer paper and were extremely complimentary of the issue. I’m proud of our staff members for their hard work this summer, and I really believe it will carry over well into our online and print publications for the rest of the academic year.

As Meg and I are planning the September issue, since brainstorming was this past Monday, the importance of communication has been extremely obvious to me. Over half of our staff are new members, so breaking down the tasks at hand and making sure everyone knows what is expected of them has been a challenge for me. I am definitely a “go-with-the-flow” type of person, so being in this co-editor position has really shown me the importance of thorough preparation beforehand, along with equipping me with the skills to guide other people through their questions and concerns. Whether you’re studying for a test or creating a presentation/speech, I challenge you to spend extra time in preparation — it will help your communication and confidence and will pay off so much in the long run.