My time at Eisenhower High school, for as short as it was, has been the best time of my life. I’ve learned so much through many of the kind hearted and lively people of this school, both teachers and students have shown themselves to be genuine and overwhelmingly welcoming, and I wish nothing but for the next generation of Eagles to find the same kind of community I did. I’ve only been for one year, and though I wish I could have enrolled earlier, I am very grateful to have spent my senior year and graduated here with all my new friends and favorite teachers. It reignited a fire in me that I thought I would have lost forever, and I can’t thank everyone enough for what they’ve done for me.
For the next artist who wants to draw for the Gazette, here’s some pointers for being consistent and making your life way easier.
- Learn the in’s and outs of your art program, be comfortable with what and how you create, as it will make everything much more convenient.
- Make sure to avoid overscheduling and make room to draw, don’t stretch yourself thin, and if you can do or draw something early, please do.
- Communicate with your team, everyone at the Gazette is willing to offer ideas or to take in your work, it’s a team effort, so don’t be afraid to use your voice if you need something.
- Make basic characters using shapes, for Eagle Nation all of the characters are made of shapes that are easy to replicate and draw multiple times, Elise (the main character) is a circle and triangle.
- The program I used was ibisPaintX, which is made for comic artists with paneling tools and many different fonts. Speaking of, I would recommend making your own font, instead of writing all the dialogue by hand. Use every shortcut you can.
- If you want to pitch your own series, draw three comics and show them to the club once you’re ready, it does not need to be completely rendered, only a visual of what the final product might look like.
- Lastly, you can do whatever you wish with Eagle Nation, it’s your comic now, you should own it and make it yours.
Thank you all for encouraging me to draw Eagle Nation, and enjoying the work I put into making it. All artists should have a chance to show what they’re capable of, and have a voice in the world. For the next artist, take care of yourself, and don’t let fear stop you from making the things you want to make. Goodbye Golden Gazette, I wish you all nothing but the best.
No one said high school was going to be a piece of cake. There are some things that I might have regretted doing, things that I regret not doing, but it is important for me to understand that even through all this, graduation is near and I will have completed these 4 years of high school as a student, a leader, and a pusher. It is bittersweet knowing that school is ending in a few days, but at the very least, I saw this club and the community known as “The Golden Gazette” grow. It is incredible that we have advanced to a newer and more engaging site that I had the opportunity to be a part of, even though I have been a member for a short duration of time. Even so, it has been a great 2 years with The Golden Gazette, especially with our biannual potlucks, where members would have a chance to engage. I want to thank a few of my teachers and my friends, those including Lizett who is also part of the newspaper, for helping me continue and progress through these long years of high school, and even though I was insistent on already graduating, there have been many fun moments as well, those including school events such as bowling trips, football games, homecoming, prom, and many more! Keep your head up, and do not let anyone tell you your dreams are too big or inefficient!
After attending Eisenhower for 4 years it’s hard to move on, to let go, but nothing is meant to last forever. I’ve been a part of the Journalism club for two years and this year as the president. The high school experience overall has made me grow and learn how to be a better person and the lesson taught to me will stick forever.
My freshman year was the first year back from quarantine, after skipping the better parts of middle school starting high school felt like starting from new. I remember my first day being full of nerves with only my mask to cover my anxious face. There’s no doubt that before Eisenhower I was prone to be alone but I had made a promise to myself that I would take this opportunity to extend my reach. I joined my first year of academic decathlon and found friends I was able to connect to and stuck with them throughout navigating these past years. Even from just my first year I learned that my peers weren’t intimidating but instead people I can lean on for support.
Now as I’m ending my senior year I start to feel alone again. I’ve been with my class through every step I took, it was a comforting feeling to know that they were in it with me. As graduation approaches I feel us all taking a different path for the first time and as it’s hard to admit this, that’s scary. With everything that I learnt however won’t go to waste, I’ll take what the class of ‘25 has given to me and expand on it. I will soon start over again but I know now what I’m capable of and how to appreciate the people around me while they are there.
After Graduation I plan on going to Cal State University, Long Beach where I intend to work hard towards getting a degree in mathematics. I couldn’t have done any of this without my family right behind me supporting me. I also appreciate my friends who got me through this, Emily, Leyla, and Vanessa. It’s comforting to know that I don’t truly need to say goodbye to you guys because you’ll always be a part of my life. Lastly I’d like to thank all my teachers and the staff, the pillars of how I got where I am.
My last words here and some advice would be to seriously take a moment to enjoy where you are in life, enjoy your friends and remember that high school is too short for petty disagreements. Don’t waste your time on the negativity that comes natural to everyone’s life at one point but find a way to learn something from it and move on. Do what you enjoy doing and take advantage of the community you have now and don’t resist the connection that we all need in our lives, go to the football games, savor every event, it will be worth it.
