Oracle is more than just a publication; it’s a lifestyle.

Day after day we toil endlessly over all the minute details that go into making a paper; from font size to picture placement, but often times our real purpose is overlooked. We don’t just put words on a page next to bylines and headlines to have a newspaper that looks good.

Our job as journalists is to report the news that goes on within our school. We do a fantastic job, if we do say so ourselves. We’ve even won VHSL awards three years in a row, not like anyone keeps count though.

We do not intend to disrupt class with our visits; it is just the most convenient time for us to interview students. We understand what’s the best time for us may not always be the best time for teachers, and we respect their decisions on whether or not we can borrow a student of theirs for a few minutes. If we are unable to interview during class, we will very happily find another time to do it, but we greatly appreciate the teachers who allow us to perform our duties during the school day.

We know there are many people who do not quite understand the reasons behind what we do. As an answer for that, we would like to inform our readers that an official copy of The Oracle mission statement can be found on page two of every issue. If it is for some reason an inconvenience at a given time to look this up, we have re-printed it below:

“The Oracle is a student run publication designed to inform and entertain the West Springfield High School community. We publish articles written with as little reporter bias as possible. Opinion is expressed the Viewpoint, Forum and Etc., and in editorials, reviews and signed columns. Editorials represent the opinion of at least 2/3 of the staff and do not reflect the views of the adviser, the administration, or Fairfax County Public Schools. The Oracle reserves the right to reject advertising deemed inappropriate. Signed letters to the Editor will be considered for publication but could be edited for grammar, spelling and space.”

This may seem like a lot to take in, but basically it means that we report on the news affecting our community. We like to share opinions and hear the opinions of our readers, but we make sure to try to do our work as fairly as possible, fair to the community and to the teachers whose classes we may interrupt.

If the people of this community have any problems with what we do, we encourage them to follow this motto that’s above our door:

“Don’t whine about it, don’t cry about it, do what we do and write about it.”