Senior Tess Murray used writing to share ideas, relieve stress.

Writing can be used to drive a certain point to an audience–to inform the public. It can be used to entertain. Senior Tess Murray from Hinsdale South High School used her own writing for relief from stress and as a way to utilize her talents for putting words on paper. Murray’s writing abilities had given her a position on the yearbook staff at her school in Darien, Illinois, which allowed her to share her written creations with the audience at her school.

“My favorite writing is the writing that I do do through being in the yearbook, which is mostly feature writing,” Murray said. “I find it so cool to meet and learn about so many people that I normally wouldn’t [meet].”

Murray took pride in her work for the school yearbook. She was proud to share her writing in the book for her peers, and she planned to expand that audience in the future.

“My writing is one of the things I am most proud of, and I love that it has allowed me to get so involved in my school,” Murray said. “This is especially true with our yearbook and hopefully our school newspaper in the future.”

Journalistic yearbook writing was not the limit for Murray. She expanded her skill beyond just writing about students in her school. She learned to use creative journaling as a way help her get her thoughts out on paper.

“Though I am not always consistent, writing has translated into journaling,” Murray said. “Putting words into writing is

such a stress reliever for me and it’s very calming.”

Murray typically put the events of her life in her journal in order to organize her thoughts and clear up her head. This differed from her job as a writer on the yearbook. Instead of covering the intimate details and interests of the students around her, she focused her own life and feelings onto the paper.
“Usually I’ll journal about my day or just anything, big or small, that’s going on in my life,” Murray said. “Whatever’s on my mind, from school to family to friends, that’s what I [journal] about.”

Yearbook had been Murray’s way to further her abilities in writing as well as get her work out for others to see. She suggested that other promising writers try to do the same with their own work.

“My advice for people trying to further their writing abilities would have to be join your school yearbook or newspaper,” Murray said. “But, if that’s not a possibility then just start writing about anything that interests you in a notebook or your computer.” Story by Makenna Sisemore.