Dear underclassmen,

This year, The Purple Tide saw many surprises. Still, responsibility rubrics, tag days that were very successful (in our hearts) or the construction of a new high school couldn’t begin to capture the time we’ve had working with you the past four years.

We saw all of you enter room 228 as new staff writers and eventually transform into the capable, talented writers you are today. However hard to believe, all of us award-winning journalists began the same way, and we’d like to give you some advice as you move forward as student journalists.

Taking journalism gives you the unique responsibility to stay updated on what goes on in your community. It may not seem like it while scrounging the internet for article ideas, but scrolling through all those school board meeting agendas or emailing school officials for interviews gives you in-depth knowledge of what goes on around you that can rarely be found anywhere else. Some of us have even formed connections with district officials and local businesses after TPT-related outreach. Being on staff gives you unparalleled opportunities to reach out and build connections, and we’re confident that in the coming years, you all will look back on your time with The Purple Tide and appreciate everyone you got to meet.

Some cycles, you may feel stuck in a section that you didn’t sign up for. It’s happened to all of us, but it’s been our experience that these are the articles that you learn the most from writing. The news article that leaves you with no clue where to start can lead to your most interesting interviews yet. The opinion that you desperately try to research for the sake of an article may end up becoming your own, or motivate you to understand a new perspective. Finding something to review as you write for A&E might lead to the discovery of one of your new favorite movies. We encourage you to branch out whenever possible to experience all that journalism has to offer. 

Finally, in this daunting time of technological insecurity, we urge you to keep being authentically yourselves. It may seem tempting to replace your own creativity with the regurgitations of a chatbot, especially when a grade is on the line, but only you can write with the passion, skill and conviction that we’ve come to appreciate in all of you. After all, ChatGPT can technically give you an article, but we’d be shocked if whatever Oxford comma-riddled text it spews at you is even half as inspiring as your own work.

Earlier, we said that the connections you make are vital, and we hope you don’t discount us from this list. Whether from the sunny beaches of Florida or the freezing Canadian confines of Toronto (we’re completely unbiased), know that you’ll always have proud supporters watching your work. Despite the loss of seven of the greatest journalists CHS has ever seen, we’re confident that The Purple Tide will be in great hands.

‘Till next time,
TPT Seniors

Dear Seniors,

Congratulations! After quite a while surrounded by purple walls and the occasional window, you’ve made it through your final stretch of high school. Looking back on this past year of writing, editing and designing together, we have collectively realized that 1) journalism has forever changed our view of the Oxford comma and 2) we’re really going to miss all of you. 

It’s hardly a surprise that the newsroom won’t be quite the same next year. So as we close out TPT’s historic Volume 50, and you get ready to start on the next exciting chapter of your lives (one that does not involve staying in 228 for three hours straight on A-days), we wanted to take a second to recognize the impact each of you have made on all of us. 

Lizzie, our worknights superstar, role model and Virginia Student Journalist of the Year. Your dedication to journalism and press freedom is so evident to us. We’re so lucky that you moved to CHS and that we’ve had you leading our publication as editor-in-chief for the last two years. Even as the girls tennis team captain and a literal author, you’ve always given your all to TPT, whether it’s spending hours designing our (amazing) print covers, leaving late-night edits or answering our perpetual questions about inDesign, all while making sure we finish articles on time. Your kindness, drive, encouragement and endless willingness to help haven’t gone unnoticed. Thank you for the lasting contribution you’ve made on TPT. We have no doubt that you’ll continue to do awesome things at the University of Toronto! 

Claire, from your articles to podcasts, your storytelling through reporting is simply amazing. We don’t know how you’ve managed to balance rhythmic gymnastics, Class Board, volunteering, Model UN, tennis and AP Bio with being a fantastic editor-in-chief, but you have. Without hesitation, you’ve helped us search for sources, stepped in to finish pages during worknights and came up with perfect story topic ideas at the start of each cycle. Even beyond that, you’re an incredibly considerate, outgoing, confident and genuine person who we love to talk to during class and can always ask for advice. Your leadership and accomplishments are truly an inspiration to all of us, and we know that this is only the start. We’ll be cheering you on as you continue to pave your path at Duke! 

Cedric, where do we start? You’re an insanely talented journalist and editor, but also one of the funniest, most approachable people we know. Even amid the pressure of print deadlines, you without fail find a way to lighten the mood in the newsroom and make us laugh each class. We can always count on you to edit our articles fast, step in to help during worknights and energetically hand out copies of the magazine on distribution day. Without a doubt, you’ve made a name for yourself in the Opinions section with your witty headlines, satires and compelling stances. We appreciate all the work you’ve done for TPT, and (as predicted) we’ll miss you as you head off to do great things at the University of Toronto, but we can promise that your legacy and “Blame Canada” will be remembered.

Nischal, our Opinions editor and incognito (but very much appreciated) staff ed writer. Even under the pseudonym of “TPT Staff,” the quality and consistency in your articles stand out each time. You’re always willing to drop everything to attentively help us out or answer a question in class. At the same, you can nonchalantly make us laugh without trying and are also insanely good at trivia, a tradition that will certainly continue next year. Thank you for always putting in the time to leave thorough edits that make an article just that much better (sometimes at 2 a.m., but we’re grateful for it), keeping the coffee machine running and being a genuinely nice person to talk to. The University of Florida is lucky to have you—we wish you lots of caffeine and all the best in college.

Hansika, our exceptionally talented A&E editor! Whether it’s about a new restaurant, album or senior traditions, your articles are one of the highlights of each cycle. Not just that, but you make inDesign look easy with your fun print spreads during worknights. We enjoy writing in your section as we chat about the niche interests of “F1,” “Heated Rivalry” and Tate McRae while working on our articles. We love your easygoing and sociable personality—it’s easy to start up a conversation because you’re such a fun person to talk to, always giving the best advice when we need it, and we never have to second-guess ourselves asking a question. We’ll miss you so much as you head off to UVA, but we know you will continue shining there.

Janya, your articles have become iconic in the A&E section. We look forward to reading your latest reviews, which are so well-written and interesting to read. You’re such a reliable editor, always leaving edits fast whenever we ask. Especially for newer staff members, you’ve been available and given sources for our articles. We appreciate everything you’ve done to help us tirelessly fundraise for all of our print issues this year: organizing tag days, reaching out to businesses and keeping track of our advertisements. Thank you for your devotion to TPT. If you start a review blog at Northeastern University, we will all be reading it! 

Sofya, we’ve loved the articles you’ve written this year; even outside of class, you think of such good topics and interesting angles. We’re happy that you’ve spent the past couple years on TPT staff with us, and we wish you well in all your future endeavors! 

You all have been invaluable to The Purple Tide, not just as journalists, but as friends and people we’ve looked up to. It’s hard to imagine next year without you, but we’ll take your guidance and encouragement into the next volume and keep working to carry on the legacy you’ve left. If we’re lucky, maybe you’ll check chantillynews.org every once in a while, and you’re always welcome in 228—we hope you’ll stop by CHS to visit us (or just to get a cafeteria cookie) next year. Even from hundreds of miles away, your underclassmen will always be rooting for you, and we can’t wait to hear about the amazing things you’ll do. 

See you around,
TPT Underclassmen