Dear Reader,

I never thought I'd be writing this, but it feels appropriate considering this is the last edition of the Bear Necessities I'll ever edit.

I've been going to Brown for 13 years, and I've never pictured a version of my life that doesn't revolve around this school. As a junior, I joined the Journalism class and started working on the Necessities. I was a Managing Editor, Social Media Coordinator, and Features reporter; I designed the layout and did my best to market, hoping that someone in some classroom would open our website and think "Wow, this looks good," and "That Charlotte girl can really write." I honestly didn't think I'd stay in the class for my senior year, but now, as I'm looking at the conclusion of my high school career, I can say that I'm so grateful I did.

The 2023-24 Journalism class is full of brilliant, hardworking people. Before, I didn't think that as an eighteen-year-old I'd feel any sort of overwhelming pride in watching a group of individuals grow as writers and human beings. But, apparently, I was wrong. If you look through the archives for each section, you can see the development of every reporter's writing style, their courage in asking for interviews, their confidence in writing interesting stories about their own niche interests. As I read over the paper each month, I can't help but think that "Hey, these underclassmen I dreaded working with might actually be better reporters than me." They're hardworking, constantly volunteering their extra effort to making the paper the best it can be, always diminishing it with a "Yeah, I have nothing better to do," or "It's no big deal." And they're smart. Our in-class discussions of "What's in the news" have been the highlights of my week for the entirety of my senior year.

And, of course, that's partly owed to Neysa Jones' brilliance as a teacher, supervisor, and mentor. Through long discussions and newspaper fashion shows, she forces her students to work together and get comfortable. Without her, this class would never be what it is. I wouldn't feel the love and camaraderie I do for my classmates, and I definitely wouldn't be as assertive as I am. Neysa has given us all the tools we need to be brave and to trust my instincts, always supporting from behind as we try to embed that video or get that interview.

I don't know what the class will look like next year. But looking around me as I write this at my classmates typing away on their computers and chatting about their subject matter, I have absolute faith that everything will be just fine.

Before I conclude this, though, I'd like to give special recognition to the Managing Editors, Lena Sabaka and Kailey Stolte, and the Section Editors, Lucy O'Brien, Sophia Graham, Peytience McMillen, and especially  my section's pride and joy, the Features Editor, Kayley Starnes.  This paper would not go anywhere without you. Underclassmen, please keep working hard and doing good. I could cry thinking about how proud I am of every single one of you!

Thank you for making my senior year so special

With all the love in the world, your Editor in Chief,

Charlotte Meeley