In the spring of 2024, Denebola's seniors -- who comprised nearly the entire club -- sadly said their final goodbyes before heading to college. This left me and my co-editor-in-chief, Molly, a challenge: how will we restore the spirit of Denebola, a club that was nearly empty after the seniors left, and continue publishing meaningful stories? 

One of the primary reasons I joined Denebola in the first place was the warm, welcoming community Denebola offered. Unlike other school clubs that recruit members with similar interests, Denebola embraced people's differences, emphasizing them to help us generate stories with more variety. Our ability to connect and form a tight-knit community despite our differing interests is what made Denebola one of the most important experiences of my high-school career.

However, Denebola saw a slight decline in connectivity the previous volume. Being only one of two juniors in a senior-filled editing team, I noticed a decrease in our team's social gatherings and bonding -- especially between different grade levels. Because of this, my top priority when I became editor-in-chief was to harness our social energy and spend as much time together as possible. By doing so, we will find more purpose in our work and can create a more successful online publication.

So Molly and I started off strong. Our team spent late nights at the local pizzeria and early mornings in our advisor's classroom. These moments were ultimately what made every club meeting special to the point where many editors established friendships beyond their relationship in the newspaper.