I often want things to be perfect, so much to the point where I do them over and over again; especially here at Jacket, where the pressure and the ability to make it perfect really feels like it’s on. Exhibit A: this column. I’m attempting to write this for the tenth time, not because I have nothing to write, more because I have too much to write and I want it to be perfect. If I keep talking about this it won’t be perfect anymore so I’ll just get into it.
The Jacket has been one of the most meaningful experiences of my life. To be fair, freshman me would scoff at the prospect of applying for Editor-in-Chief because who would ever want to practically work a payless full-time job senior year? Sophomore me started falling in love with the Sports section and finally getting the hang of writing articles. Junior me realized the Jacket meant a lot more to me than I thought. Senior me suddenly breathed, ate, laughed, cried, and lived Jacket. My friends can attest that I’m always down to send Slacks at parties or sneak away from Friendsgiving to make the front cover in another room. It has been my home away from home, exactly the distraction I need from any personal problems, and the place where I have devoted more time, energy, and passion than I thought possible.
What I’ve realized, though, is that no amount of Slack messages, edits, or organizational measures will make the Jacket “perfect.” From the kerning of every single article, to the hex of colors on our precious color pages (hi color page), to the right adjective to describe an event, I have kept myself up until 2 a.m. making sure it's perfect. The truth is, the Jacket will always have more room to grow and evolve with our beautiful, vibrant, complex community. The ambitious, curious students that make up our staff make me so hopeful for the future of journalism. When we boil it down, we are high school students making a newspaper from scratch every other week. Even if the paper isn’t perfect, the overwhelming, extraordinary, impossible, and wonderful experience of Jacket is what’s actually most perfect.
Thank you for making this year livable, Sydney. I can confidently say the bar you have set as a working partner and friend will be hard for anyone to measure up to. Thank you for always reminding me to take breaks even when I didn’t know I needed them. I’ve learned so much from your kind heart, your radiant positivity, and your almost frustrating ability to always make the right decision. The kind of genuine, purely kind person you are makes me rethink my own relationships.