Hello, Spartans! Once again, I’m Max Knight, your current Editor-in-Chief here at Sword and Shield, here to deliver the final editors note of the year and the final editors note of my tenure here at Sword and Shield. I just want to say a huge congratulations to all of you for making it through another school year. It’s been a long, eventful year, both here at Memorial and in the world, and I’m proud of us for powering through, no matter the lows and highs we’ve each faced. To all the graduating seniors, we here at Sword and Shield wish you the best of luck with all of your future endeavors, and to all our returning Spartans, we hope you have an amazing summer so you come back ready to have a great next year!

The year’s not over yet, though– we’ve still got articles to preview! In news, we have articles about topics ranging from the papacy to even more DOGE-related government shakeup, while arts and entertainment is here to get a bit less serious, with movie reviews and some thoughts on recent local theatre. Student life is here to give a retrospective on AP testing, as well as a roundup of senior class awards and honors, while sports is keeping you updated on the goings-on of F1. And of course, last but not least, the Opinions section is here to keep you pondering with some think pieces on AI and the complexities of The Trials.

I leave this editor’s note off with a message that while this year may be nearly over, unless you’re graduating, your chance to get involved with Sword and Shield isn’t. This newspaper is a wonderful club and has helped me develop so many skills I plan to take into my future, and I’m so lucky to have been able to have been a part of it. If you’ve even thought about joining, I suggest you give it a go. Summer may be coming, but that only means more time to brainstorm ideas and build confidence in your skills before the next meeting. Try writing for us! As long as you give it an earnest effort, I know the team I’m leaving behind this year will accept you with open arms. (Plus, it looks great on a college application– take it from someone about to leave for college).