FHC Sports Report has been around for quite a while now, and the student body along with the Forest Hills Central community enjoy the several articles that are published on the website every day. The FHC Sports Report staff is working hard to cover sports, brainstorm ideas, and produce the best articles that can be produced. With this being said, nobody is working harder than the editors-in-chief. They are constantly working, collaborating and always doing their best to make the their own and their fellow journalists’ writing better, and it’s time that they get some recognition.

Before the beginning of each school year, two to three editors-in-chief are selected by Mr. Sultini, FHC Sports Report head adviser. These individuals are chosen to not only help out with editing and writing but also to lead the staff. FHC Sports Report is unique in that it is a student-led class, so the editors-in-chief are tasked with running the meetings and addressing anything that needs to be addressed. The two editors-in-chief this school year are seniors Serena Thiede and Lucas Thompson. Being an editor-in-chief is no easy task and much thought has gone into their selection. Both students have a passion for writing and are going to college to pursue a career in journalism.

In an interview, Serena talked to me about why she wanted to become editor-in-chief.

“I wanted to become an editor after I saw the cool opportunities that editors got to not only work with their journalists but also grow a community in a positive way” she told me. “My role models were really good about including everyone and making sure that everyone felt heard. I wanted to be a part of that and transfer that to the next generation of sports reporters.”

Serena was in the class last year and saw how much fun the editors were having, so she worked as hard as she could–sometimes even writing multiple features and editorials a week–to prove that she could become an editor-in-chief. With all of the benefits and fun that come with being an editor-in-chief, it also takes a lot of time and commitment. Serena knew this before starting, as she told me she was “willing to do the work.” All of that hard work that she put in has paid off. Serena loves to work with journalists and enjoys the fun environment offered by the class. Although each journalist has a different background in both sports and writing, she treats everyone the same.

Lucas, on the other hand, was not officially a member of the FHC Sports Report prior to this year, although he did some writing for the class during the second semester. He had always liked journalism and wanted to pursue a different kind. The opportunity arose for an editor-in-chief, and he took it, never once regretting it. It adds to his already busy schedule, but he makes it work. He likes to get his other homework out of the way, and then focus on FHC Sports Report. Many times he has to wake up extra early to make sure he is editing, reviewing, and publishing articles. He gives his journalists deadlines and makes sure that once the stories are completed, he edits them within a twenty-four hour window in order to quickly get them published for the community to read.

Being an editor-in-chief has more responsibilities than being a regular staff member/journalist. “Staff writers have obligations to cover their own assigned sports, write their own features and editorials, and grow as a writer, but the editor-in-chief needs to edit those stories, write their own stories, and lead their peers as well,” Lucas said.

Mr. Sultini, the head advisor of the FHC Sports Report, is extremely grateful for Lucas and Serena. Having them help him lead the class relieves some of the strain and pressure that comes with the position and also helps him have more eyes on the writing. “It helps me to have two students in this position of leadership because it makes it a little bit easier to convey my thoughts and messages to the rest of the staff. Because it is coming from one or two of their peers, staff members may be able to relate more, and might even listen better. No matter what, we work as a team that communicates often and well, and that goes a long way for the success of the class as a whole.”

Both of this year’s editors-in-chief have done a wonderful job at going above and beyond to ensure that each journalist has the resources, assistance, and guidance that they need. It may seem like a tough “job”, but Lucas and Serena love it. They have a passion for writing and want to help the rest of the FHC Sports Report community come to love it as much as they do. It is easy to take these two for granted, but in reality, their work should be recognized and praised much more than in just one article.