Junior year I decided to join Clarion because of how much Mr. Helgeson hyped the class up to my honors English 10 class. I knew I wanted to take the class because I wanted another chance to have Mr. Helgeson as my teacher, but I gained so much more from the experience than I originally anticipated. One of the biggest things for me is having friends in my Clarion class, the only time I see most of them during my school day. Additionally, I see Clarion as a good opportunity to create a balance in your schedule, because I enjoy writing, so it was nice to do something I was passionate about during a class period. Initially I was intimidated by the process of interviewing individuals, but I’ve grown to appreciate getting to know so many people’s stories, which I love.

Overall I would recommend for anyone to join Clarion, because not only do you get to independently create something that the whole student body will view, but you get to create a unique community due to the way the class is structured (Food Fridays and parties instead of exams).

Although I’ve struggled with many things at this school, I am thankful for the friends I would never have met if I went somewhere different, and it’s all worth it for the teachers that have permanently changed my perspective on life for the better.

I truly hope with every fiber in my being that people walk faster in college.

Have a diploma,

Anna Caruso

Every year of high school has been a lesson beyond what we are taught inside of classrooms. Every single person ends up learning something about themselves. I often found myself grasping for the “why” during the past four years. Why did the pandemic have to take my freshman year? Why did that one thing go wrong sophomore year? Why did junior year feel like one big, chaotic blur? Now, as I’m at the end of my senior year and my time here at RB, I ask myself why did I try to change things outside of my control? Most of the things we struggle with in life will likely be outside our control. The only thing we can do is play the metaphorical cards that we were dealt. Roll with the punches. C’est la vie.

I don’t want to imply that all of high school was some grand tribulation. I didn’t even come close. There are plenty of things that I am going to miss about this place. For one, my friends are one of the most sacred things to me, and I’m going to miss them all horribly. They’ve been at my side through the best and worst, and for that I am very humbled. I will also miss the orchestra that I am leaving behind. It was the single strongest community for me in this school, one where I was acknowledged for my strengths and uplifted by those who covered for my weaknesses.

However, I have concluded that because I was able to find these things in spite of the circumstances here, I most certainly can and will do it again. I suppose then what I learned about myself is the kind of person I want to be in the kind of life I want to live. I also learned that not everything has to be a big deal. As my dad would (probably) say, nothing’s that serious. Sometimes all you can do is laugh, because trying to comprehend the absurdity of life is a 100% guaranteed way to trap yourself in a mental prison. And, remember, everything that comes after high school is going to eclipse what your life is now.

I wish to express my gratitude for the existence of the Clarion. Being able to incorporate such a class into my school day for the past four years has been the greatest gift. Clarion has given me an outlet for my writing and a way to connect with the Riverside Brookfield community.

I’ve always loved writing and telling stories, but it was with the Clarion that I discovered my passion for journalism. My experiences in this class have shaped what it is I want to study in college and what I want to spend my life doing.

My freshman year was remote, but I was welcomed warmly to the Clarion community the moment I logged onto Mr.Helgeson’s zoom. I look back on my first two years of the Clarion with a loving sentimentality because I learned so much from the staff that came before me.

Clarion has been an unwavering source of inspiration and support for myself over the last four years because of our sponsor, Mr.Helgeson. Mr. Helgeson’s kindness and wiseness is the glue that keeps the Clarion community alive and flourishing. He has helped me grow not only academically, but personally. He has always encouraged my writing and desire to pursue certain stories with the utmost professionalism. Mr. Helgeson has dealt with my many tears over the past four years, and always made me feel seen and heard. I cannot thank him enough for his guidance.

Clarion has given me wonderful friendships and connections. Joey Kampschroeder and Morgan Anderson have been reliable to work with and wonderful to laugh with. My senior year Clarion staff was amazingly talented, productive, and unwavering in their passion to keep the Clarion running.

I am so excited to see what the Clarion accomplishes in the future. I know it is in good hands!

So much love —
Sadie Springer

“Everyone, I need your full and undivided attention,” Marc Helgeson said. And here we are again, yet another article to complete. But this article isn’t just any article, it gives me the opportunity to reflect on my time here on Clarion these past two years, as well as express gratitude to all of my classmates and friends that I have made along the way. Writing has always been a creative outlet for me in terms of songwriting and creative writing, but I could never have imagined myself writing for a school newspaper. To be completely honest, I don’t really have an explanation for joining the class my junior year, other than the fact that my sister, Sarah Strubbe, would tell me about all of the adventures she endured while in the class. Once I had space in my schedule, this was all it took for me to join the class, and I wouldn’t change that for the world.

Firstly, I would like to reflect on the people that I have met along the way. Coming in my junior year, gratefully, I already had many friends in Clarion, but I never would have imagined that I would meet so many more. I would also like to give a shoutout to my table squad specifically, as the connection we’ve created is unlike any other. In addition, I would like to apologize to the rest of the class for our diabolical laughter everyday.

Next, I would like to thank Mr. Helgeson for always being our #1 supporter . Mr. Helgeson is the kind of teacher that would do anything for his students. He truly cares about their wellbeing and has an undying passion for what he does. Although the class is mostly student-led, Helgeson helps create a positive environment in the classroom. I will never forget food Fridays, Slate News quizzes, editor/staff meetings, end of the year parties, (“mooing”- don’t ask)
and the overall beautiful chaos in the classroom. These shenanigans are unlike any other that I have experienced in any other class, and I just love how weird we all are. 🙂

I am excited to graduate and move on with my life, but I cannot lie and say that I will not miss these special moments. One thing that I can guarantee is that I will take the skills that I have learned in Clarion, and apply them to other aspects of my life moving forward. This includes the actual skills I have acquired, but also the relationships that I have made along the way.

“Peace out homies,” Helgeson said.