After the first editorial meeting it was clear – we wanted to design another special issue. We just didn’t really think of the topic at first. But when the suggestion “Love” came up in the second meeting, it was immediately approved by everyone in the editorial team. But why “love” of all things? Love is omnipresent and affects everyone in our society. Especially in the course of our brainstorming, we became aware of how many facets love actually encompasses: from the love of a partner to the love of a sport to the love of the fatherland. A perfect topic for our issue.
Anyone who chooses “love” as a topic must also be aware that one or two unpleasant questions will have to be asked. But it’s worth it. We were able to find out from some of our teachers what they would like from their partner on Valentine’s Day and whether they would rather have a picnic or go out for ice cream on a first date.
The article, which reports on the first loves of three teachers at the Rhön-Gymnasium, was also very well received by the school family. Here our readers got to know their teachers in a completely different way. This article can also be considered a complete success because of the pictures that show the educators’ expressions as they remembered their first love.
But not all topics were handled so easily. We have consciously decided to also cover aspects that are more important than first love. How do you feel as a homosexual person in today’s society? Or: What does it mean to have to leave your home country at a young age due to military conflicts (keyword: love of your country) and to gain a foothold in Germany, to learn a new language, to have to find your way in a new school system?
This is the story of Yuliia Lunhol and Maria Petrakova. The two girls fled Ukraine to Germany in March 2022. The fact that they were both willing to talk to me about their story shows a lot of courage. I am incredibly grateful to have been able to conduct this interview – even though it was probably the most sensitive article in the issue. This conversation required a lot of sensitivity and was also very close to my heart. It is all the better that the two have now found a new home in Germany. As they told me, two hearts beat in their chests: one for Germany and one for Ukraine.
I am proud to have been able to accompany the edition of the school newspaper as editor-in-chief. The fact that our edition was well received at school was shown by sales: we sold all of the printed school newspapers. The issue was very well received by students, teachers and school management.
Philipp Wohlfart is editor-in-chief of “Konturen”, the school newspaper of the Rhön-Gymnasium Bad Neustadt. The theme booklet on love won in the high school category Leafmaking competition 2022/23.