So long, “Bull’s Eye!” The time has come for “Claire’s Corner” to end and for the next A&E editor, Emily Wong, to share her opinions and enlighten you all with her sassy commentaries.

As a senior, this is the prime time for me to become nostalgic and thank the important organizations and people in my life. Looking back, I realize that, without hesitation, journalism has benefited and influenced my life the most. During my AP Language and Composition test, I pulled from current events I had covered in past newspaper issues and effortlessly constructed an essay. During college interviews, I shared details of designing layouts, attending concerts, and reviewing books for the majority of the time. However, journalism’s impact does not stop in my high school career. In fact, in college, I plan to travel abroad and put my writing to good use by blogging to raise money for under served communities. And if I am struck by inspiration, I even aspire to author a nonfiction novel.

Yet, after I tell friends, interviewers, and strangers of my plans concerning journalism and literature, most are surprised when I tell them that my major in college is Neurobiology/ Cognitive Science. However, those who have not experienced a passion for literature will probably not understand when I say that I believe literature serves as the basis for many fields.

In the minds of those friends, interviewers, and strangers, math and sciences are in no way relatable to humanities. However, humanities demonstrates important, invaluable lessons in life and share the limitless imagination of others. I am constantly inspired by Jeanette Walls’ memoir, “The Glass Castle,” and fascinated by John Steinbeck’s “East of Eden,” and his view on good versus evil. In a sense, humanities is beneficial in any person’s education in order to fully develop.

I believe the problem is that people view literature as solely the mind-numbing passages we read in our English classes and the incredibly long book reports we are required to complete. Yet, I bet that very few of these people have valued any Spoken Word performances, much less watched them. A heavier integration of literature is also seen in standardized testing, with reading comprehension included in the MCAT, which is a test pre-medical students must take in order to attend medical school.

As a writer, I have learned to become more open minded, which has definitely helped in the world of science. I have also found my own voice, which is an indescribable feeling and has allowed me to both express myself and become a more confident individual. Journalism is in no way just another high school extracurricular. It is a team and family where individuals work to better themselves both as a writer and as a thinker. As a student that values the importance of a liberal education, I believe that journalism played an enormous part in allowing me to mature and to open my eyes. And to all underclassmen and juniors: take Journalism.