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Sophomore Greer Hembree attempts to break Blue Valley’s press. Photo by Hadley Chapman

By Hadley Chapman

Posted February 20, 2020

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In over our heads was an understatement.

If we’d been completely transparent in our applications, we would’ve noted that we’d never actually picked up a camera before. We’d tagged along to some photoshoots and made some silly skits with our friends for video production class, but Nikon and ISO was a foreign language. Despite our lack of preparedness, we took a risk and joined staff — together.

Our first day we were thrown into a video brainstorm without having any idea of how to use Adobe Premiere Pro, but we tossed out our ideas and began learning what makes a good video.

We pitched a trivia game show. A four-team, bracket-style trivia tournament to determine the smartest winter sports team, that would ultimately change our lives. We selected the contestants, developed the bracket and built the set. The only thing left was finding someone charming enough to host the show. Scorsese has De Niro, Speilberg has Hanks and Hendon has Dehan.

To read more, click the link in bio.

#storybyryderhendon
#storybyryandehan
#socialmediabysydneyeck
#photobyrileyscott

Even amidst remote schooling, history teacher and

Even amidst remote schooling, history teacher and Student Council Sponsor Brenda Fishman stuffed Lancer of the Day bags with pencils, pens and candy then drove around town to drop off the bags with her two dogs, Dolly and Abby, in the backseat. All to make sure the students received the usual rewards despite an online school year.

With Fishman’s time at East ending after 37 years of teaching and 27 years of sponsoring StuCo, her students say she’ll leave a legacy of selflessness and encouragement.

The mutual respect she has with her students on StuCo has helped them pursue their passions and ideas whether it’s making floats or coming up with ideas for school events for years, according to current Exec Board members.

To read more, click the link in bio.

#storybymaggiecondon
#designbysophiabrockmeier
#photobypaigebean
#socialmediabylylaweeks

Going into high school with two older sisters to g

Going into high school with two older sisters to give me a rundown of East was a blessing in disguise. But it also meant copying nearly everything they do, while also trying to leave my mark. They both had their “thing” going for them which meant I had to subsequently join cheer like my sister and eventually the blessing in disguise… Harbinger.

OK, this isn’t going to be a sob story about me not having a calling in life but, I can say that other than my late-night crying sessions about my photostory every other week, Harbinger gave me something to look forward to every day.

Originally having no interest in the whole journalism thing, I was constantly pressured by my upperclassmen friends to join. Finally, after months of avoidance, I caved and submitted my application at semester. Seeing my friends’ smiles after becoming a staff photographer made me ecstatic for class after winter break, thinking it would be a breeze — I was wrong.

To read more, click the link in bio.

#storybylivmadden #photobyrileyscott #pagedesignbygreysonimm #socialmediabylucystephens

The Lancers scored their first goal in the first f

The Lancers scored their first goal in the first four minutes against Pembroke. The goal was scored by freshman Ryan Feagans, the leading goal scorer for the team. The Lancers scored five goals in the first quarter of the game, and freshman Ian Horner did not have to make any saves. The Lancers scored only one goal in the second quarter, but made another seven goals in the remaining two quarters. Horner only let in one goal in the third quarter. The Boys JV Lacrosse record is now 11-2.

To view more of this gallery, click the link in bio.

#photobypaigebean #photobymollyscott #socialmediabypaigebean

Nothing to lose. That’s exactly what was runni

Nothing to lose.

That’s exactly what was running through my head when I applied for Head Photographer Editor after only one semester of taking photos of games and for Harbinger stories. Prior to January of 2023, I had probably picked up a camera three times.

In what world would I be suited to lead a 16-person staff of photographers? But I truly had nothing to lose — I’d either become an editor or stay a staff photographer. On the last day of school, I opened Instagram and was thrilled to see I ended up getting the position, along with my incredible co-editors Riley and Liv. We were all excited for the next year and began discussing plans in our group chat right away.

To read more, click the link in bio.

#storybykennaharrington
#photobyrileyscott
#pagedesignbygreysonimm #socialmediabysydneyeck

I thought I was going to die. Freshman me stood qu

I thought I was going to die. Freshman me stood quivering at the front of the journalism room, sweaty hands jammed in my pockets, and head down. I desperately tried to avoid the gaze of over 40 new classmates.

I was already nervous as one of only three freshmen who joined the Harbinger staff that semester, and on top of that, we were finally returning to in-person classes after a semester of online school due to COVID-19. Not a great start — but things were about to get a whole lot worse.

Tate — the all-powerful final boss of journalism advisors, and the villain in this story — was leading a lesson on how to take criticism. He said it was based on a scene from “The Mighty Ducks” where the goalie is tied to the goal and his teammates drill hockey pucks at him full-speed. Except instead of a player, it was me, and instead of pucks, my classmates started hurling every insult they could think of at me. Great.

Overlapping shouts of “Boo,” “You suck!” and far more unsavory things I can’t write here filled the room as I just stood there praying that they wouldn’t kick me off staff. This “lesson” felt less like a teaching moment and more like a near-death experience.

But that exercise in public humiliation taught me a valuable lesson: If I can survive whatever that was, I could do this Harbinger thing.

To read more, click the link in bio.

#storybygreysonimm #photobyrileyscott #socialmediabybridgetconnelly #pagedesignbygreysonimm

OMG obsessed, one sec. Love that font! I love!!!

OMG obsessed, one sec.

Love that font!

I love!!!!

To others, these seem like basic teenage texts. To me, they’re my greatest pride and joy — texts I received from Harbinger editors during my sophomore year.

The “little things” — like kind texts — are deeply meaningful to me as I’ve grown up literally around the world, moving between places like Singapore and New York City for my dad’s job.

To read more, click the link in bio.

#storybybridgetconnelly #photobyrileyscott #socialmediabylucystephens

Ever since I joined staff my sophomore year, I kne

Ever since I joined staff my sophomore year, I knew I’d eventually have to write my senior column.

So, two weeks ago I started brainstorming by making a list of everything that I’ve learned from Harbinger. I wrote down time management, communication skills, talking to adults…then I stopped. It’s impossible to create a bulleted list of everything I’ve gained from Harbinger — my vocab simply isn’t expansive enough.

And so, as Tate urges all writers to do, I’m going to show — not tell — a few moments where I gained a little something from staff.

To read more, click the link in bio.

#storybyaanyabansal #photobyrileyscott #pagedesignbygreysonimm #socialmediabysydneyeck

The world doesn’t know what the word “harbinge

The world doesn’t know what the word “harbinger” really means.

“What’s a harbinger? A messenger of doom?” my lawyer father joked, in his typical English-major fashion, last year when I became an assistant editor of The Harbinger. Sure, that may be what the dictionary says — but Merriam-Webster is wrong:

Harbinger is stomping through a Journalism 1 class on Halloween deadline day with my arms crossed, rocking a scrawling Crayola marker mustache, plaid button-down and Tate-style slip-on shoes to spook the freshmen.

Harbinger is running through the library to get outside just in time for a staff sunset picture. Then doing cartwheels in the parking lot before getting back to PDFing.

To read more, click the link in bio.

#storybykatiemurphy #photobyrileyscott #pagedesignbygreysonimm #socialmediabysydneyeck

Defining moments from the 2023-2024 school year in

Defining moments from the 2023-2024 school year in photos.

#designbycarolinemartucci
#designbyclarapeters
#photobymaggiecondon
#photobylivmadden
#photosbycarolinemartucci
#photobykennaharrington
#photosbyclarapeters
#socialmediabylylaweeks

The Class of 2024’s post high school plans.

The Class of 2024’s post high school plans.

Sitting down in my freshman year Journalism 1 clas

Sitting down in my freshman year Journalism 1 class, I spent five agonizing minutes trying to get the courage to walk over to Tate’s desk. Finally, I approached him and asked — with a shaking voice — if he could look over my story.

As he read it, he harshly pointed out every flaw. The lead was cliche. My interviews were boring. The story had no focus. After three minutes of him tearing apart the story I had spent two weeks writing, I squeaked out a “thank you” with tears forming in my eyes and asked if I could go to the bathroom.

I immediately broke down crying.

When my mom picked me up from school that day, I told her I wasn’t going to do journalism next year. Clearly I wasn’t cut out for the whole Harbinger thing. It wasn’t until she forced me to call a former staff member, who told me about how she loved deadlines and her fellow staff members, that I decided to give it a try.

To read more of Maggie Kissick’s senior column, click the link in bio.

#storybymaggiekissick
#socialmediabylucystephens
#photobyrileyscott

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