One last time: Goodbye, Conant Crier

As a senior graduating in a couple of weeks, I have known this moment was coming for a long time. At the beginning of this year, it felt so far away. “Aww, this is our last first Crier meeting!” I remember thinking, but the finality of these “lasts” still wasn’t hitting me.

It didn’t hit me when we went on our last KEMPA conference field trip (and got a first-place award as an online publication!), or when we had our last holiday party.

All of a sudden, during what felt just like one of the many Crier meetings I’ve attended over the years, we began discussing what our last meeting would look like.

That’s when it hit. The last meeting. This is it. One more meeting, and I’ll never walk into this office again, never sit on the bright red couch we’ve deemed the “Editor-in-Chief couch,” never discuss what articles everyone is working on, or joke around with one another about pushing people off of chairs or being better than everyone else.

When I first joined Crier, I was a freshman. Things were rough for me at home, and I was struggling to feel like I fit in at Conant. Taking advice from my counselor, I decided to find a club to join that would allow me to meet new people with similar interests as me, and possibly have a little fun while I’m doing it. That’s when I found Crier, a seemingly casual club that only met once a week and would allow me to do something I had always enjoyed doing but never really had a medium to express: writing.

Walking into the Crier office for the first time was nothing short of horrifying. It was the middle of the year, so everyone was set in a routine, and everything seemed to be moving so fast. Article ideas were being thrown around left and right, and the Editors-in-Chief were scribbling on whiteboards around the room at lightning speed. Everyone seemed to know each other and what they were doing.

Even though I was so nervous, I was warmly welcomed into the Crier staff. The Editors-in-Chief at the time, Johanna Selmeczy, ‘22, and Ella Saptura, ‘23, ensured that I wasn’t being left out of the conversation and helped me start my first article. Since I was interested in Opinions, the Opinions Editor at the time, Jamie Okulanis, ‘23, taught me about the process of writing an opinion piece and helped me start writing.

My first article was called “Pride: Does it live up to the name?” and I could not have been more proud of it. It wasn’t profound, groundbreaking, or even really that unique of an idea, but the feeling of publishing an article online for the world (or really just a few Conant students and my mom) to see was exhilarating, and I couldn’t wait to keep writing.

Over the last four years on Crier staff, there have truly been some big highs and lows. After relatively uneventful freshman and sophomore years, I decided to apply for the Editor-in-Chief position during my junior year. When I had first joined, never in a million years would I have thought I would ever be one of those untouchable upperclassmen leaders. However, after the first meeting of junior year, I realized that I felt very passionate about some things I wanted to change about our process, and the only way to be able to enact that change would be to get to the center of it all.

Since becoming Editor-in-Chief with my co-Editor-in-Chief, Jessica Pfeifer, ‘25, my role on the Crier staff has completely changed. It went from being able to write articles about whatever I wanted and whenever I wanted to having high expectations placed on me regarding what I write, and being at the center of the decision-making process, and being part of the editing process for all articles published to our site.

That isn’t to say I haven’t immensely enjoyed my time as Editor-in-Chief. I have been able to face seemingly insurmountable obstacles and come out on top of them. I have been able to reflect on my own abilities and change my habits for the better. I have been able to come out of my shell and become comfortable talking to large groups, small groups, authority figures, and strangers, all the while spending time with an amazing, dedicated group of people.

While trying to decide what I would like to say as my final goodbye to the Conant Crier, I have realized that it isn’t really about me: it’s about every single person who has helped me be successful within the Crier and get to where I am today. So, I would like to thank some important people who have really made everything possible.

It only makes sense that I should first thank the people who have been reading my articles. I want to say thank you to everyone who reads articles posted to the Crier, whether this is the first and only article you’ll ever read or you’ve read every article published during your time at Conant. It is only because of you that we are able to do any of this, and your dedication to reading our publication has allowed me to find passion in my work. I would like to give a special thanks to Liam O’Mahoney, ‘25, who keeps close tabs on the articles published to the Crier and deserves the title of our number one fan, as well as Dori Lee, ‘25, one of my best friends who pulls up the Crier the second I tell her I have published another article.

Next, I want to thank all of the editors that I mentioned from that first meeting I attended. All of you inspired me to one day follow in your footsteps and become not only a top contributor to the Crier but also a dedicated leader.

Thank you to everyone I have interviewed while writing any of my articles over the past four years. I have always struggled with social anxiety, and when I first joined Crier, I thought there was no way I could ever interview a stranger. However, every single one of you has been so kind and helpful to me and has boosted my confidence, allowing me to take on new complicated articles that require me to talk with many people, and truly make a difference within the Conant community.

I would also like to thank Nate Polanco, ‘27, who has been on the Crier staff for the past two years and has been such a light within the Crier office, as well as being my coworker at my job outside of Conant. You have been such a great person to vent to about any frustrations, and you always have great advice for me. You always have such incredible ideas and a huge positive and humorous influence on the staff. Crier is lucky to have you next year, and I wish you all the luck in the world!

I owe my thanks to Zehra Ozcan, ‘25, Anum Saif, ‘25, and Leyla Yurtsever, ‘25. These are this year’s opinions, features, and news editors, respectively, and I would like to thank them for their dedication to the Crier. Even as second-semester seniors, they make an effort to come to as many meetings as they can and have dedicated so much time to writing what they’re passionate about. From the way you talk about Crier and put so much effort into putting forth your best work, it is clear that you all care deeply about your position and contributions. You are all so creative, and I appreciate everything you have done for our staff this year. I wish you all luck in college next year!

Thank you David Gwizdala (Gwiz), who is one of our Crier advisors. Although some of your feedback can come off as harsh, you are constantly pushing us to do our absolute best. You are very thorough in answering our questions and always willing to support us, whether that means unlocking the door for us in the morning before school so that we can put up holiday decorations or meeting with us one-on-one to ensure we are all on the same page. It is so clear how much passion you have for journalism and how much you want the Crier to succeed, and you have done a great job passing that down to us. I hope next year goes well for the Crier and the new members will feel your passion too.

I would also like to thank Kathryn Sall, who is another one of our Crier advisors. You have believed in me since my freshman year, when I was in your honors English class. You were the one who read my writing and encouraged me to join Crier, which I am so grateful for. I was having issues at home and with friends at school around the time that I was in your class, so having a teacher who believed in my talents really made a difference in how I viewed school and my own confidence. You are always so incredibly supportive of every idea, even if it’s not a good one, and even though you are so busy outside of Crier, you always find a way to be there for all of us. You are a great leader and a great mentor, and I wish you all the best for your future on Crier staff, at Conant, and otherwise.

Last but certainly not least, thank you infinitely much to Jessica Pfeifer. I could not have (and would not have wanted to) embark on this journey with anyone but you. You are one of the most special people I have ever met, and I will cherish every memory we’ve shared together, within and outside Crier. Your ability to instantly click with anyone on our staff needs to be studied, as well as your know-how when it comes to all things English (except maybe spelling). Before starting Crier, we knew of each other but were never really friends. It was during that first Crier meeting junior year, when we talked to each other for nearly 30 minutes about all of the ideas we had for Crier, that I knew we could be an incredible team. Since becoming that team, we have done so many Crier-related things together. Some have been scary, like conducting interviews with teachers and students we have never met and attending student-led protests to get coverage. Some things, however, have become core memories for me, like going to Denny’s and getting made fun of by the waitress for ordering their entire specialty menu, seeing Wicked in theaters, and making the most atrocious desserts. I wish you so much luck in your future endeavors (not being an English teacher), and I can’t wait to be able to say we’re friends when you’re a famous author, actor, lawyer, or whatever you end up choosing. Although we have had so many ups and downs as a part of Crier, my best takeaway will always be my friendship with you.

Although it has been really tough coming to terms with my time on the Crier staff coming to a close, I don’t want to leave my farewell on a depressing note. Because my time on Crier has been anything but. It is only because of Crier that I have been able to meet a truly special group of people, leave a lasting impact on my community, and learn more about who I am, not only as a writer but as a leader. As the famous quote goes, don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened.

Thank you, Conant Crier.

Alexa Orlowski, ‘25.

Alexa Orlowski | Conant Crier

Posing as “Criers” at our last meeting of the year. From left to right Gwiz, Jessica Pfeifer, Alexa Orlowski (me) and Sall.

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