This document contains farewell messages from the senior editors of a school newspaper, the Torch, to the incoming junior editors. Riley Galbraith reflects on their time with the Torch staff and lists things they want to experience one last time, such as interacting with teachers and completing their final publication. Rachel Gilman's editorial discusses discovering their thesis for their final piece. They reflect on opportunities they took in high school, taking initiative on the newspaper staff, and how hard work led to personal growth and lessons that will carry into the future. The seniors congratulate the junior class on taking over leadership of the newspaper and encourage them to make it their own while having fun with the experience.

1. James Kern, Ben Feltes, Jessica Rowan, Riley Galbraith, Rachel Gilman, Sarah Sickles, Allie Sindlinger, Nick Appleget
Goodbye & good luck
Three years. That’s how long the wait was for the chance to grab the torch, literally. We waited three years to
embrace the honor and responsibility of being the head honchos of one of the premiere papers in the country.
When the torch was passed we grabbed it and ran with it. Our impact was evident as the always newspaper
format was changed to magazine. We embraced the feedback, both positive and negative, and lead the staff
forward through what we believe was one of our best years. We took home the Gallop Award, which honors our
paper for its devotion to quality and the first amendment on a national level. We took home numerous state
awards and improved as individuals and as a group in many ways. But suddenly, in the blink of an eye, our time
is up. The present has turned to history, we have become just another staff that members will look back on
and (hopefully) fondly remember. The Torch came so far, through so many classes, through so many families,
through so many different leaders, all with their own personal touch, which has made the paper evolve in so
many ways and has made it the premiere paper that it is today.
Now it is time again, time for the juniors to step up and have their one shot to make their mark. Just a few
parting words from the senior class of 2012: remember to make it your own, be bold, and have fun with it. Your
senior year, one of the greatest adventures of your life, is about to begin. You must be cautious, yet fearless. You
must be witty, yet serious. You must be intrusive, yet compassionate. Confused yet? You should be. As best sell-
ing author Tom Peters once said, “If you’re not confused, you’re not paying attention.” You will be leading the
paper through a new era, an era with a new advisor and a new dynamic. It won’t be easy, but there’s no doubt
that it will be exciting. Congratulations seniors on another great year, and as for the juniors, consider the torch
now passed. What you do with it is up to you. Good luck and know that we believe in you.
Torch Seniors 2012

2. One final time
Nothing really has changed, yet everything feels completely different. My routine is still the
same. Each day I wake up, hit my alarm, sleep until mommy wakes me, then lethargically pro-
ceed through the school day, acting as if I give a damn until I finally have some relief in the long
walk out of school with my bestest “fwiend”. And although I desperately want to be done with
the piles of work that my teachers keep throwing on me (thanks!) and say goodbye to the select
few that I will thankfully never see again (adios!) there is still something that keeps pulling me
back. Something about this place is just rooted inside of me.
Soon I will quietly drift off into obscurity with no other label than Kennedy High School class
of 2012 alum; my time will be over, and I will be forgotten, left only with my memories, which
is my only proof of the amazing experiences that I have had. Even though at times I was driven
crazy, there are still dozens of things that I want to experience again; the things that I desper-
ately want to do just one last time…
Listen to 15 people from one classroom express the fact that they were going to attend North-
western. Let’s just say there were a lot of disappointed people (congrats to Austin Anderson).
Greet Chuck Patton at the school activities, watch him light up with a smile, and realize how
lucky I am to be in the presence of such a remarkable person.
Have friendly banter with Mr. Bunch and hear the unmistakable raspy voice that is the signa-
ture of one of the strongest men that I know.
Watch Grady’s antics as he gives a lecture and find myself secretly wishing that every teacher
could hit a power stance like him and give the unmistakable dinosaur arms jerk while teach-
ing about the ever so interesting loanable funds market (Please don’t make me draw it on the
board!).
Kick it with Lynn as my body falls apart during spring sports. We’ve spent too much time together.
Lay my heart on the line for the ultimate goal: bringing home the state title.
Blow a night in the KPL. Finally decide on a trip to Perkins, and disrupt the whole restaurant laughing while performing teacher imitations.
Missing class for no apparent reason, oh wait, I mean for my 73rd appointment of the year (thanks Marlys and Dana).
Spend one last late night with my Torch family - wobbling a lot, working a little, regardless of our deadline’s rapid approach.
This publication has done so much for me, and as I sit here writing my final editorial on the edge of tears I can really see how lucky I am to have a school,
newspaper staff, friends, and family that really care about and support me. It’s hard to believe it’s over, but it’s been real. Thanks for everything.
Riley Galbraith
Discover your thesis
Sitting down to write my final editorial as an editor in chief for the torch has been one of the most
difficult things to write thus far. I’ve had my struggles each issue deciding upon what to write about,
but this issue was a beast of its own. What could possibly sum up four crucial years of development as a
person as well as my career as a Torch staffer and do it justice? One could imagine my frustration being
a journalist as I could only come up with a list of painfully cliché phrases. Take advantage of opportuni-
ties, Get involved, hard work pays off, stay true to yourself, take initiative, keep on keeping on, make
new friends, go outside your comfort zone, challenge yourself…. And alas, it struck me. High school
itself is one huge cliché.
Take advantage of the opportunities that come your way. These opportunities are what make the
turning points to the plot of our life. The summer of my freshman year, I was offered a spot as an
leader in training at YMCA Camp Wapsie days before the three week session was to begin. At that
point, I had already accepted that my hope to one day become a counselor was unattainable and I was
okay with spending my summer with my friends at home. When I received the call, I was hesitant at
first, thinking of the nights that would be forgone with my friends at home. Ultimately, I accepted the
offer. Looking back now, this was one of the most crucial decisions I made that altered the path I took
in high school.
Take initiative. Returning to school the next fall as a sophomore after a summer at camp, I decided
to take initiative with my Torch experience. I felt that just being a writer was not enough. I wanted
to set myself apart by embracing my creative passions in order to one day be on editorial board. That
year, I was enrolled in the classes instructed by Mr. Schmueker teaching the ways of the Adobe design
programs. These classes were the starting blocks of my future as one of the creative minds of The
Torch. With my new skill set, I was able to contribute to the paper in a way I felt suited me and gave me
purpose. If you want something to change or happen, make the effort to do it yourself.
Hard work pays off. After four years of zero through sixth hour and too many AP classes I have made
it through successfully. Some classes provided me with frustration and challenges, AP Chemistry being a frontrunner. I went through the year of AP Chem
thinking I was a lost cause. But I decided I might as well work hard. Before each test, Austin Anderson, Arjun Venkatesh and I would team up and study, like
really study. That next summer the AP exam results came in the mail and I thought my score had been some sort of miracle. But this was not the case. It wasn’t
by the grace of a higher being that gave me a (barely) passing score on my exam, it was hard work. Next came senior year, the year to apply to college, the
ultimate showcasing of my hard work through high school. This time when the mail came, I found myself disappointed and confused. I had not succeeded as I
thought I would have, the schools I worked so hard to get into had rejected me. I felt my hard work was all a waste. But of course, this was not the case. Maybe
my hard work was not shown off by an acceptance letter from Duke or UVA, but it is shown through the work ethic I developed. Not only did I develop a work
ethic, but more importantly, I am beyond proud of what I have achieved.
So high school is one huge cliché, but that’s why I love it. My favorite nights of high school were spent tailgating at football games, being with classmates
under Friday night lights (or rather, out on the field taking photos) and finishing the night off with my best friends at The Barn. How cliché Iowa high school
student, grilling, football and hanging out in a barn. But it is truly, the best. Each cliché that has been ingrained in our minds since freshman orientation has
a lesson to take with us to the real world. Though high school can be amounted to a list of clichés, this is not a complete thesis. No, high school may amount
to clichés, but it is what we learn from these clichés and their effects upon us that we find its true value. Embrace the cliché. Clichés are cliché for a reason,
because they are usually proven time and time again to be right. Congrats, senior class. May the odds be ever in your favor.
Rachel Gilman