Senior Karissa Murdoch has been one of the most amazing writers the Lariat has ever had. At Shadow Ridge High School, she has been in journalism for three years, ever since she was a sophomore. Throughout those years Murdoch has been a journalist, Co-Editor in Chief, and Editor in Chief.
Murdoch initially joined journalism because of Mrs. Smith’s presentation to her class one year, which made it look fun and cool. At first, she joined because it was going to look good on college applications and resumes, but it ended up being fun so she stuck with it. One of Murdoch’s favorite parts of the class and writing her articles is all of the people she gets to write about.
“My favorite thing about writing for The Lariat was being able to spotlight specific people,” Murdoch explains. “It was really awesome to be able to bring some recognition to not only those who excelled in Shadow Ridge sports but also those who excelled outside of school with sports, hobbies, businesses, and so much more. It was really cool to be able to not only learn about what my peers enjoy doing when we aren’t in class, but also to let everyone else see how awesome so many of our peers really are.”
As for memories, Murdoch has lots of them. She has enjoyed every minute spent in journalism, but she will miss the time she spent with the people in the class the most.
“My favorite memory from journalism really boils down to spending time with the people around me,” Murdoch says. “Once during my first year with The Lariat something really funny happened and I ended up laughing so hard water came out of my nose.”
Mrs. Smith, the journalism teacher, knows that Murdoch has been invaluable to the Lariat and will miss her when she graduates. She loves what Murdoch has brought to the Lariat with her amazing articles and perseverance to get them all done.
“The best thing about having Karissa in my class is that she understands and appreciates my sense of humor,” Mrs. Smith comments. “She is wise beyond her years and I love that she brings that wisdom into the classroom and into her assignments.”
Murdoch is literally the backbone of Shadow’s newspaper because she keeps everything running smoothly. Everything Mrs. Smith asks her to do gets done sooner or later, even when Murdoch has a lot on her plate.
“She loves and supports The Lariat just as much as I do and that support is instrumental in making The Lariat the huge success it has become,” Mrs. Smith explains. “Her polls and quizzes are the best and I look forward to them every week!”
For new journalists either coming into the Lariat or just thinking about joining, Murdoch has some great tips for those new students.
“If I could give any advice to future journalists it would be to not do what I did and procrastinate,” Murdoch comments. “Just stay on top of things and you’ll have a great time.”
Besides articles, Murdoch has also formed a strong friendship with Mrs. Smith that goes beyond school work. Their memories together will be remembered for all the fun and happy times as well as the challenges they shared.
“I will miss our lunch chats, or the times when we just sit in silence together,” Mrs. Smith says. “I will miss our eye rolls and laughs under our breath. I will also miss (maybe) the 10 articles she always seems to complete the day before the final due date. Even though she would turn in her articles late, she always pulled through in the end and I could count on some amazing work. Who else can cover the fine intricacies of Dutch Bros. vs. Starbucks the way Karissa can? No one.”
