Seniors Matthew Walter and Adam Graham have assisted the journalism staff this year by tackling interviews and scanning the hundreds of signatures seen on the cover of this issue.

The two have collaborated to help work on the newspaper and yearbook in the journalism room. Graham, having been on staff longer than Walter, looks after Walter when assigned projects so they can both get as much as they can out of the experience.

“Adam is very concerned with other people,” paraprofessional Genie Harper said. “He likes to help protect people and keep them engaged in things and make sure they’re always involved.”

Being in the journalism room has been a highlight of Graham’s high school career. He joined his freshman year and has helped out ever since.

“Journalism is my favorite part of high school,” he said. “Doing interviews and hanging out with Ms. [Barbara] Tholen and the guys for the last three years is a lot of fun for me to have.”

Walter joined the staff during his last year at Lawrence High. They have written questions for their own interviews as well as conducted them.

“They write a lot of interviews they do,” Harper said. “They ask a lot of cool questions.”

Not only has the staff influenced them, but Graham and Walter have also had an impact on the journalism staff. They help others with their stories and introduce new story pitches for the newspaper.

“Adam in particular has been really good about making sure we cover certain things that I don’t think we’ve covered before he was on staff,” journalism adviser Barbara Tholen said. “The very first time we ever covered Special Olympics was because that’s something that’s really important to Adam.”

Journalism students as well as Tholen have noted the positive energy that Graham and Walter bring to their room.

“I like the way Matthew has the sweetest way of coming in and saying, ‘Hi’ every day when he’s coming to class,” Tholen said. “He just makes me smile every day and makes me really happy that he’s here.”

Their positive energy is also seen in their other classes throughout the day.

“They’re both usually in a very good mood, so I think they bring really good energy to any staff they’re on and the school itself,” special education teacher Mallory Hancock said. “They’re also really inviting about other people and not judgmental at all, and that’s always a really good thing to have at the school.”