As the school year comes to a close, the Midlo Scoop says goodbye to nine departing seniors. Seniors Nabiha Rais, Anna Chen, Carrie Rowley, Sarah Moskovitz, Caitlin Woods, Marisa Ruotolo, Brent Novey, Sophie King and Rachel Bybee have each played a vital role on the staff for one, two, or three years. During the 2018-2019 school year, some stepped up to the task of page editors in addition to writing weekly stories. Others found themselves being inducted into the honorary journalism society of Quill and Scroll. As seniors prepare for their last week of school, these some of these staffers reflect on their journalism experiences.

Nabiha Rais initially joined the staff in her sophomore year, freelanced in her junior year, and continued on the staff in her senior year as an independent study student, dedicated to journalism and the Midlo Scoop staff. As an individual who consistently takes photographs and writes weekly stories, she also plays a role as the Copy Editor of the Midlo Scoop. “You see the dynamic of a newspaper room in movies and television shows; from the rigor to the consistent agility required, there is always a list of tasks to accomplish at the end of the day. With the Midlo Scoop, I was presented the honor of seeing this in my own lens. Whether it was constantly working with Mrs. Tully or listening and helping the rest of the staff, I am forever grateful for the ultimate gift that Midlo Scoop gave me: a voice.”

Anna Chen first joined the staff in her sophomore year, and this year is her third and final year on the Midlo Scoop staff. Not only does she write for the Scoop every week, she also serves as the Entertainment Editor. “This class has opened my eyes to my joy of writing,” said Chen, “and I’ll miss writing stories every week.”

Carrie Rowley joined the staff last year and dedicated herself to writing at least two stories every week, with her focus on the arts. “The Midlo Scoop opened me up to several different activities and allowed me to meet people I never thought I’d interact with. My favorite stories to write encompassed Fine Arts,” exclaims Rowley.

Caitlin Woods also joined the staff last year and has since proved a valuable asset to the Midlo Scoop team. “I’ll miss laughing with my friends and working with them on stories,” she said. As her final year on the staff comes to a close, she confessed her favorite story she’s written over the last two years: “My favorite stories to write were spotlights because I liked learning about people’s experiences. Of those, I really liked writing the story of when Josue Candelaria went to Guatemala.”

Sarah Moskovitz reflected on her time on the Midlo Scoop staff, as she finishes her second and final year on the staff. “I’ll miss Midlo Scoop because I got to make friendships with the students in the class and got to write articles on things that interest me.” She admitted that her favorite stories to write were spotlights because “they’re personal, and [I] got to learn things about people [I] might not have known.”

Marisa Ruotolo expresses her thankfulness for the experiences the Midlo Scoop has given her since she first joined as a junior and now serves as the News From The Classroom Editor, “I joined Midlo Scoop junior year because my friends were on the staff. I’m really glad I joined because otherwise I wouldn’t have gained the creative writing skills I have today.”

Sophie King joined the Midlo Scoop as a photographer two years ago. While King doesn’t write stories, she plays an important role in taking pictures for the Scoop stories. “My favorite stories to take pictures for were for sports,” said King. “I’ll miss Mrs. Tully.” King will continue in this industry, as she majors in Journalism at Virginia Tech next fall.

Brent Novey joined the Midlo Scoop staff this year. As his first and final year comes to a close, he says, “What I’ll miss most about Journalism is the people and the camaraderie.” His favorite story to write was the spotlight on Carter Averette’s commitment.

Rachel Bybee joined the Midlo Scoop staff two years ago, stepping up this year to serve as the A&E Editor. “My favorite story to write was Howl-O-Scream,” she said. “But my favorite part of being part of the Scoop was the parties.”

The Midlo Scoop will miss you next year, seniors!