As my time at Judge comes to close, I can’t help but think about all that I’ve done while in this class. Some of my favorites have been producing TV Judge with CJ Stokes and Toni Bullough, my coverage of the 2023 Salt Lake City Mayoral Race with George Frech (and CJ and Toni again!), and my argument of the failures in drug policy at our school, as first reported 25 years ago by the Press.
All are impressive accomplishments. And yet, I hope for the future, my legacy is not defined by these.
Rather, I hope I have no legacy at all, and instead, I am not remembered. I hope that as soon as I’m gone, people come in and take over just like nothing ever happened.
These past four years have been challenging for the Press. Interest in journalism, print, video, photo, and the like have dipped for years. We had gone from having a monthly paper, with a multitude of stories and ads, to less frequent magazines, and finally, to no regular release of stories. And yet we persist. Our digital aspect has blown up; now, we have a website, instagram, youtube, and spotify, all charging forward to inform this student body of what’s going on in our world today.
Ultimately, journalism isn’t about one single person’s contribution to the world around them, but rather a collective change. I did a lot of things to help build the bulldog press into what it is today. And as I leave, I hope you continue them.
These past couple of years wouldn’t have been possible without such a strong, supportive and complex community. Our journalism program here is truly special and wouldn’t be possible without the help of many important figures, namely Dr. Sloan. And of course, how could I forget my fellow editors? You guys are the voices for those who can’t speak for themselves, the storytellers of our community, and the people that drive the change in our world.
Never forget that.
And as always I like to say, don’t mess with the press.
Ted Hyngstrom was the Editor in Chief of the Bulldog Press for the 2023-24 school year. He plans to attend the University of Wisconsin-Madison to study Journalism. He is very thankful for the memories he’s made with his teachers and friends, and hopes the best for this publication.
