Departing Editor-in-Chief addresses PDS student body and faculty

Joey Levine, Editor-in-Chief

As I prepare to hand over the reins after two years as Editor-In-Chief of the Spokesman, and four years on staff, I look back on all that I have learned from my journalistic experience, and offer a few words of advice and thanks.

To PDS students I say: Try something new in high school. I would have laughed if you had told me four years ago that I would end up being the Editor-In-Chief of the school newspaper. Yet, look at me now; one who cannot get through a conversation with a friend without mentioning the word “Spokesman” at some point, regardless of the topic. While stressful at times, I would not have traded this job for the world, and cannot even begin to express how valuable the experience has been. I beg you all to make the effort to attend an interest meeting of some sort (obviously a Spokesman one would be most worthwhile) and try your hand in a new realm; who knows, you may even end up loving it.

To the PDS Faculty, I have one last request. It is really important to hear students’ thoughts, opinions, and passions. Often, conversation including these erupt in the hallways from articles we print. I encourage you to bring these conversations inside your classroom and weave them into your courses. The school paper is an incredible resource, and can be used as a great supplement to much of what you chew over in class. Talk about the legality of issues we discuss, the history of topics we cover, and even the statistical relevance of numbers we present. It will, I am sure, invite students to become better members of the community by listening to what their classmates have to say in a safe and engaging environment, and will also provide an intriguing conversation.

Finally, a huge Mazel Tov to the Volume 52 Editors-In-Chief. If you are reading this, you have finished the long and painful process of deliberations, and have been selected as the two new heads of one of the most time-consuming – yet rewarding-extracurriculars in the school. Time to get to work!

It has been an absolute honor to serve the Spokesman as EIC for Volume 50 and Volume 51, and I would like to thank all those that have helped me along the way, including – but not limited to -: both staffs (Caroline Lippman and Hannah Freid in particular), Mr. Stoltzfus, Mr. Loewy, Mr. Figueroa, the administration, my family, and many others. Last but not least, I would like to thank the PDS community. You have all certainly taken an interest in this paper, whether it has been with congratulatory words or the occasional angry email (my favorite!). I have always tried my best to print both interesting and factual articles that spark conversation among our students and faculty alike, and believe we have succeeded.

That’s a wrap folks, it has been a pleasure.

-Joey Levine