“Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don’t matter and those who matter don’t mind.” – Dr. Suess
After over 144 voice recordings, 137 phone notes created and countless times being mixed up with my twin brother John, my time on The Pitch and in high school is coming to an end. If you would have told freshman year me, a kid who just came from having 60 kids in his grade to having 800, how my four years would have happened, I wouldn’t have guessed the outcome in a thousand tries. And I think that’s the beauty of it all: you never truly know where you’re going to end up or what’s going to happen, and the fun is in this exploration of finding who you want to be. I’ve learned that although I can’t control where I am in five, three or even one year from now, what I can do is try to control my attitude to be the person I want to be every day.
14-year old William (not Will yet), loved sports and when he found out there was a Journalism class, he took his spot in the back right spot of the classroom 193, closest to the door.
I strived to be like The Pitch greats that came before me, such as Josh, Luke, Seyun, and Allison. Although I might have been pitching (pun intended) a 3D Pitch issue to Seyun and Ely or writing an article about Super Stuffed Oreos, I always had the passion to make The Pitch better. At times, I caught myself comparing myself as a leader and my contributions to The Pitch to others. It seemed like everyone had a gift, not just in The Pitch but everyone else around me. I could have never been as good as the people I wanted to be because they had their gifts, and my thought was that I have nothing.
When it was announced that I would become a Print EIC with Maayan and Jeremy and I began the onboarding process, I finally realized what my “gift” to The Pitch was.
This whole time I wanted to make The Pitch better through better content, or no more print mistakes; through something tangible, yet, what made The Pitch such a great experience wasn’t the product or the articles, but it was and is the people. Sure, striving for a first class NSPA ranking would technically mean The Pitch is “better” than years before, but my true gift to make The Pitch better would be the ability to make others feel known.
I could simply be myself and try to make other people, especially my fellow staff members, smile and be seen. I wasn’t going to try to be like the other former EICs that I looked up to, but I was simply going to be me. This principle is not only applicable to my journey in the Pitch but it applies to my overall high school experience. Where between the double green doors, people are constantly trying to escape their discomfort and be someone else, authenticity is rare to come by. I believe that by being authentic, you are not only able to bring out the best in you but your authenticity also rubs off on others.
People are going to think how they think, as the Dr. Seuss quote parallels, but as long as you feel like you’re giving your full self with a smile on your face, it doesn’t matter.
Thank you to everyone who has helped me feel known and has allowed me to be my authentic self.
I credit my growth and extend my gratitude to Mrs. Borrelli who trusted me and gave me the opportunity to grow and learn valuable lessons. Borrelli, whom I have mistakenly spelled with only one “R” or one “L” too many times, has taught me how to persevere and prioritize what’s important. Before anything else, Mrs. Borrelli cares for her staff beyond just their product. She brings the best out of everyone and doesn’t complain, but simply gets the job done with an optimistic attitude.
Will knows The Pitch is in great hands for the future. He will miss all the laughs and cherish the countless memories made but he knows Kareena, Becca and Emily will keep fixing tabs and deal with all the fun and exciting hurdles that come with the position. Will knows Leila and Orit will be as reliably excellent as they always are and that he is leaving room 193 in different hands.
