Dear Readers,

I’ll be the first to admit that I didn’t join The Cardinal Chronicle in my freshman year because I was scared. It was intimidating – the workload and the deadlines and the interviewing skills — and I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to keep up with the incredible writers on the staff. Little did I know, The Cardinal Chronicle would eventually connect me to the kindest, most genuine people I’ve met and provide me with my most lasting memories from high school. 

I am the third Editor-In-Chief in the history of this publication, and I can truthfully say I think of the editors before me every time I create a mini lesson for club meetings, edit an article on publication weekends, or publish to the website. I am grateful to the first editorial board for laying such a solid foundation for this publication. We continue to function so well because of the structures they put in place, and I believe their legacy of kindness, perseverance, and passion for the newspaper has been passed down through Mia to our current editors and staff. 

And to Mia, the Editor-In-Chief sophomore-me was brave enough to meet, thank you. Thank you for carrying this publication through the depths of the pandemic and for always striving to grow The Cardinal Chronicle to include more members and reach more readers.

Looking back on this 2022-2023 year, I can say that legacy continues, not just in the editors, but in the staff. This year we published a record 106 articles and welcomed more writers to the staff than ever before. We wrote essays and collected interviews and compiled stunning photo stories to capture life at MHS amidst a changing physical environment and school culture. Our staff highlighted their classmates’ voices with strength, approached delicate topics with grace, and examined the world around them with scrutiny. They took risks and were vulnerable. They interviewed and took photos, sent emails and obsessively researched. They brought their personalities to every meeting and made ASRs fun. 

Without the commitment of our editors, the work of our writers would not make the jump from Google Drive to the website. Editorial board, I loved working with you, but frankly I mostly enjoyed the excuse to get to know each of you for who you are: phenomenal human beings who pour your all into the newspaper even when life gets turbulent. I am so thankful for the traditions we’ve been able to create this year, and I can’t wait to see how you continue to shape The Cardinal Chronicle in the coming year with more editorial positions than ever before. 

I want to thank Mrs. Julian, our wonderful adviser, who has supported us through every challenge and advocated for the newspaper in every circumstance. She has also lended her room to our meetings and answered many a last-minute question. Without Mrs. Julian and her expertise, The Cardinal Chronicle would not be the publication readers know it to be.

Thank you also to our MHS English teachers who make us all better writers, and thank you to the MCPASD teachers who got us to where we are today. Thank you to Kyle, who filmed and spliced together our Cardinal Catch-up segments for the announcements. Thank you to our Art Hub contributors. Thank you to the MHS administration, and thank you to Principal Shoemaker, who has been nothing but cooperative with our goals for this student newspaper. 

To those of you who read from inside the walls of Middleton High School, thank you for supporting your student newspaper. Thank you for reading what we write; we do it for you. I have been blown away by the interest various clubs have shown in collaborating with The Cardinal Chronicle this year, and I anticipate many new and exciting projects coming down the pipeline, including a new SciTech section The Cardinal Chronicle is developing in collaboration with STEM Club. 

To all our readers, thank you for being our audience. Thank you for showing students that you value their voices. I can assure you, you have a bright year of reading ahead of you. I hope you will continue to enjoy and support The Cardinal Chronicle.