Not So Fast

My TA is mostly seniors, and as the Chronicle clock warns, I have only 88 days, 21 hours, 40 minutes, and 16, 15, 14 seconds left with them. I knew them all as sophomores in my English class, and since then, they've congregated in my room every morning as members of my beloved newspaper staff. 

They are a fun assortment of writers, editors, and artists, not to mention a growing number of Lucys, two of whom are married, I just learned. Some are obsessed with movies and memes, others with video games. They rank Oscar nominations, plan protests, and hide from “assassins.” Sometimes they study. More often, they break into song, random soundbites of musical theater, children’s choir picks, and 80s pop remixes.

Our quarterly print releases are tangible evidence of their collective spirit, which includes innovative cover designs, letters from the editor, construction updates, and a substantial list of school and community news articles. Truth be told, they don't have 4 am energy, high-octane, newsroom vibes. In a student-run fashion, they set deadlines and stroll right past. But listen, when our editor-in-chief unboxes the newest issue, it's a celebratory delivery day with donuts. Everyone agrees that each edition is better than the last.

This is a well-connected group, so there's a lot of coming and going for things like National Honor Society, D&D, Capstone, and the myriad special events in the Commons. This means they come back with “breaking news” or gossip from one corner of the building or another. Their chatter this year is also sprinkled with college musings, and the acceptance announcements have been rolling in for a while. I’m excited for them, but I’m beginning to realize how sad I’ll be when the clock runs out. 

In their futures, I imagine them producing music or video, engineering, analyzing forensics, illustrating, flying planes, and so many other things that have yet to take shape, scattered here and beyond. But for the next 88 days, 21 hours, 8 minutes, and 55, 54, 53 seconds, I'll enjoy them while they're all together in room 504.