We at The Eagle are saddened though incredibly proud to announce that Ben Bliss will be moving on from The Eagle and attending Georgetown University. We felt that during senior week we should honor all the hard work that our Editor-in-Chief has put in over the past two years through his captivating writing, persistent and welcoming personality, and the adaptability he has shown to get The Eagle to where it is today. We talked to the administrator of The Eagle, members of the newspaper, and students in his house.

First from Father Predmore, who is the administrator for The Eagle:

At the end of his Sophomore year, Ben volunteered to be Editor-in-Chief, a post that he held for two years. He showed interest, energy, enthusiasm, and he remained committed to the journalism craft. He made the meetings fun and relevant to those who were present. He made it wholly a student newspaper, one that represented student interests and voices, and he tried to find out what the student body wanted to hear. He brought in speakers from the field to provide others the possibility to see the pathways of the current profession of journalism.

He was tenacious in keeping the meetings and the articles moving forward. Last year, I felt so bad for him because he spent an entire day entering all the articles into a legacy system that has outgrown its use. He persevered, did not utter a complaint, looked exhausted, but he was customarily cheerful and proud of his work by the end of his efforts. He was an efficient manager, quick to forgive and adapt, remained cheerful and optimistic, and would always look at the possibilities rather than the obstacles.

He was a strong advocate for keeping The Eagle in print, and he balanced his work in promoting the online Eagle versus the print edition. He made sure that The Eagle reached the interests of the whole student body, even putting in crossword puzzles and games for entertainment. He really enjoyed doing music reviews and for sharing his love of music. He handled Zain Khan admirably week after week and had fun with their banter.

He made each contributor to The Eagle feel valued. He operated under the assumption that you can contribute what you can and it will be welcome. He always admitted any interested students to the group and made them feel as though they belonged and had been part of the group for the entire time. He was able to negotiate and manage some difficult submitted articles by supporting the writer and also maturely focusing upon the effect and consequence it might have on the school.

He published the first videos in the BC High Updates on Instagram and he did much planning for podcasts and other videos. Each week was filled with his contagious zeal and enthusiasm, and he simply liked being with his colleagues on The Eagle staff.

And next from Ollie Lloyd, One of the editors of The Eagle:

I can genuinely say that Ben was one of the most welcoming and helpful people to know when I started at BCHigh. I remember being at the club fair my freshman year, not knowing too many people, and feeling overwhelmed and lost. Suddenly, I heard someone call out my name from across the room. I look over to see Ben at the booth for The Eagle, waving me over with the friendliest and warmest smile. I had met him over the summer through the Peretti program, and we had spoken so little that I could not even remember his name at the club fair. But he remembered mine. From then on, he welcomed me to the club with open arms, fueled my love for writing, and was a friendly face around the school and on the train. He pushed me to be more outgoing, expand my boundaries in the journalism field, and make new connections. He has been an incredible leader for The Eagle, and while he will be missed, the legacy of his positive impact on this club will not be forgotten.

Thoughts from others: 

Many others emphasized that Ben is an integral part of Teresa house. He was described as adding a lot to the house culture, being a great presence, and often leading the house in prayer. He was described as incredibly kind, admirable, and personable, and that his presence in Teresa house will be missed.