Farewell Gateway,

It has been an honor to fill your digital pages these four years and an even greater honor to serve this year as co-editor. All of the girls on the staff are an inspiration, especially my co-editor and the now famous White Blazer Girl Maeve Sheehey. I cannot believe how far we have come. When I first started writing, I had to constantly be reminded how to upload a picture, cite sources, and find girls to interview. Now, with assistance from our beloved Mrs. Lorenz, I am able to pass on these skills to a new generation. It has been a joy to watch our young writers grow, and Maeve and I have total confidence in next year’s co-editors Angela Estavillo and Anna Zittle.

The Gateway is without a doubt one of Notre Dame Prep’s greatest institutions. In my humble opinion, it is The New York Times, Teen Vogue, and Cosmopolitan all at once. As the seniors prepare to leave it behind, it is our hope that The Gateway remains open to a diverse array of content: podcasts, comedy, opinion pieces, and photo galleries. The staff have worked hard to bring their audience stories through new mediums this year, and it is certainly exciting to watch our newspaper transition into the digital era.

As we prepare to leave, it strikes us just how much Notre Dame Prep needs The Gateway. No school can hope to educate young journalists, communicators, authors, publishers, photographers, artists, comedians, and editors without giving students the chance to practice their craft. Similarly, the presence of a student run newspaper is critical to educating all students, even those not on its staff, to be lifelong citizens who remain involved in their community. Community involvement, as we know, is only made possible by the sharing of information and, specifically, the consumption of news. In an era where media outlets turn their attention from broadcasting to narrowcasting and where the very truth of the news they present is called into question, it is critical that students learn to appreciate genuine journalism. The Gateway, we believe, teaches its staff to write through the objective lens of journalists and cultivates in its readers the habits of informed citizens.
—Grace

After four years of writing for the NDP Gateway, it is hard to believe that my work on this publication is coming to an end. I have had the privilege to serve with Grace as a co-editor of the paper this year, and I have been continually impressed by the work of each and every staff writer. It is truly amazing each year to see a new writer come out of her shell and find her own individual voice through writing. In fact, I cannot reminisce on my time writing for The Gateway without bringing to mind my own very first articles… some of which never even made it to publication. As a fourteen-year-old budding journalist, I made my own fair share of mistakes, from misquoting my classmates to writing a particularly rough article entitled “Five Best Disney Channel Original Movies.” Still, I try not to feel ashamed as I peruse my old work, but rather take pride in knowing that my experience on The Gateway has transformed me into a better writer and journalist. Without my past editors and co-writers, I would not have had such amazing opportunities for improvement over the past four years.

Now, as Grace and I take off to explore new horizons—Grace to become the next President of the United States, and me to, well, study journalism—we want to leave our amazing staff with some advice. First of all, never forget the power of journalistic integrity. I understand that this may sound like ridiculous advice, given that you just write for a high school paper, but that doesn’t prevent you from seeking the truth and reporting it… even if that truth happens to be a seemingly dull summary of the latest school assembly. Secondly, don’t be afraid to put your own voice into whatever you write. Finding your own individual style is one of the greatest opportunities that you will have while writing for The Gateway. You will be so much prouder of your work if you make it interesting and unique to you as a writer. And finally, never forget the importance of good journalism, in our school and in the world. I understand how hard it is to retain your faith in journalism, especially when fake news is all around and reporting is commonly referred to as a “dying field.” However, in such a time when every fact from the news should be second-guessed, dependable journalists are more essential than ever. By starting on the school level with reliable reporting, you all can take the world by storm as professional journalists. Each one of you has made Grace and me so proud this year, and we feel lucky beyond compare to be leaving the beloved Gateway in such capable hands. Thank you all for the amazing articles, early-morning meetings, and memories. We will miss you!
—Maeve