Dear Readers,

“Welcome to a class that doesn’t exist…yet.” That’s what was written on the board on the first day of DPHS’s new journalism course. I never imagined that not only would I help create the class, but I would also become the teacher. Aspen and I can’t express enough how big of an honor it has been to be a part of this publication. Watching The Charger Account grow for the past three years has been a highlight of my high school career, and we are so grateful for the time we’ve had here.

I remember deciding to join journalism my freshman year when my English teacher Mercy Rudolph approached me wondering if I would consider enrolling in a new class she was teaching. Back then, The Charger Account existed as a club run by two seniors, but it didn’t have much attention yet. I spent my first semester immersed in the world of journalism and I was inspired enough to apply for an editor position, finding myself as the first news editor of The Charger Account out of a team of students comprising the editorial board. We worked to build a publication entirely from scratch, dedicated to amplifying diverse voices and being a space for students to be heard and represented. I went to the JEA Convention in St. Louis, Missouri and made some lasting friends.

After being selected for the role of Editors-in-Chief the next year, Aspen and I discovered just how challenging it is to lead a new publication. From the constant editor meetings, creating and recreating class systems, brainstorming articles, and constantly discovering new ways to improve. Come second semester junior year, we were hit with a lot of hardship. After Mercy left DPHS, our new advisor, Mr. Struckmeyer heartbreakingly and unexpectedly passed away the day before he was supposed to take over. With no other available teacher, this unimaginable event left us responsible for the entire journalism class.

Emotionally fragile, running the publication wasn’t easy. We struggled to get the student body to pay attention to us. But after constant commitment and entering senior year with a fourth new advisor, Ms. Savio, we were able to get back on our feet. We accomplished so much as a publication this semester, from getting The Blueprint running, our first print magazine in decades, to designing our first sweatshirts as EICs, to gaining more readership than ever before.

This wouldn’t have been possible without our amazing readers who support and keep up with the Charger Account. We also want to thank our incredible reporters and editorial board who made all this possible. Aspen and I definitely would not have done it without them. We know that we are leaving the Charger Account in great hands!

Best wishes,
Ava & Aspen