Some parting thank yous, and some reasons for worry

Today marks my final column for The Paper.

I’m not quite sure what I want to say, but at the very least I do want to fire off a series of thank yous.

First, thank you to you, the reader. I sincerely appreciate the patience you have had with my writing, which has not always been super great. Looking back at some of my older columns, I can’t help but cringe a bit.

But seriously, I deeply appreciate that each of you take time to read my columns, and I really appreciate when people in the community (shoutout Mr. Phifer) text me or tell me in-person about specific columns they like because it makes me feel like a celebrity. Thank you readers.

I want to thank all of the staff and ownership at The Paper, but in particular, Angela Copeland and Allen VanNoppen for hiring me and publishing all of my columns/ramblings.

I want to thank all of the teachers at Freedom High School, but in particular, the Bakers, the entire English department, Mr. Cates, Mrs. Barrier, Mr. Rickertsen, and Mr. Mazzolini. Everyone at Freedom has supported me in one way or another, but these people in particular have improved my experience at Freedom High School.

I want to thank fellow columnist Christopher Pedro for recommending me for this position all those years ago, even though there is no chance he reads this, but maybe I’ll text him.

I want to thank Barbara Westig-Lynam and Mimi Phifer for starting Waiting for the Train and for inviting me on to lead Teens for the Train. I’ve enjoyed my time with the group greatly, and I cannot wait for the train to run through Morganton.

I also want to thank Grace Episcopal Church, and in particular, Sam and Caroline Avery , who have been excellent guides to me.

I want to thank anyone else who has supported me over the past four years in particular that I have yet to name.

As for me, I will be going to Duke for the next four years to study economics and then hopefully find myself at an investment bank. So, if you know anybody at Goldman Sachs or Evercore, let me know (joking (not really)).

Okay, now that my thank yous are out of the way, I want to make a watchlist with the second half of my column. I won’t be on here every weekend now to write about a specific item that is worrying me, so I want to go through and give you a list of things I am keeping my eye on.

Economic data: The Bureau of Labor Statistics head was just fired for bad numbers, and it is looking like the guy who will replace him is EJ Antoni, one of the authors of Project 2025, a bizarre Conservative plan to effectively dismantle American Democracy. Everything about this is wrong.

Freedom High School basketball: Last year was supposed to be “The Year” in many ways. The team was very experienced, looked appropriately good in-conference, and dynamic, but a first-round exit that preceded an exit of a significant amount of athletic talent in the team would have me worried if I was a coach at Freedom.

Donald Trump: Obviously I have never been the biggest fan, but his leadership so far has been absolutely disastrous and wholly sickening on so many levels. Everything he does absolutely repulses me, and he commits about 40 crimes a day. He needs to be stopped.

Wealth disparity: Nobody can buy a house, and Elon Musk it is very much in the realm of possibility that without regulation, the world’s first trillionaire will be minted in the next decade. When you combine that with the removal of social-safety nets to fund more tax cuts for the wealthy, you get a worsening standard of living. If improvements are not made, there is only one eventual conclusion.

Sudan, Palestine, Ukraine, and the Uyghurs: Sudan is the world’s most forgotten conflict. Over 150,000 people (excluding child-starvation deaths) have died because two generals are fighting each other over so little. Israel has killed 9,735 women and 18,430 children in Gaza since October 7, and our country is explicitly responsible in so many ways for allowing Israel off the leash. Every child who starves to death surrounded by rubble or is blown up by an American-made missile while looking for food is an actualization of our moral corruption. I think we are about to hang Ukraine out to dry, which is so moronic but predictable. The Uyghurs are still being persecuted by the Chinese government. Other issues have surfaced, and our leaders all suck, but do not forget about the Uyghurs.

And we’ll end on that cheerful note! Thank you again; all of you. I have sincerely enjoyed writing for The Paper, and I cannot thank you all enough.