The main thing
Above: WELCOMING ENVIRONMENT: iliad Literary-Art Magazine Managing Editor Finley Sleppy (left) sits with ODYSSEY Media Group production staff at Lizard’s Thicket in Columbia, South Carolina on March 5. Sleppy began working with the iliad during the 2025-26 school year and reflected on how the program has positively impacted her life. “This program and community that I took a risk in trusting, gave me a chance to rediscover my purpose and create new opportunities to explore interests that were at one point vacant,” Sleppy wrote. Photo by Grady Dunston
Managing Editor Finley Sleppy discusses the impact that the iliad Literary-Art Magazine has had on her identity.
Around the end of my sophomore year, when I first applied for the iliad Literary-Art Magazine Editorial Board, I felt like I lost myself.
It was during this time of uncertainty that I struggled to navigate relationships, my future and my identity: problems that I immaturely believed would solve themselves and wouldn’t become bigger issues if I just ignored them.
When I accepted the position of Managing Editor for the iliad, I was unsure of what I was getting into. I had never done anything journalistically and had little assurance in myself as a prospective leader. There were new faces I had to meet, expectations to rise to the occasion for and waves of responsibility that felt out of my depth.
My transition through the first couple of months of being an editor was life-changing for me. The program quickly became something I could call my own. I was being recognized as an individual, removed from the context of others. Assignments that I would work tirelessly on got published with my name on them, and my attitude within the space made a difference to the team’s morale.
It was incredibly fulfilling to find a sense of purpose in an environment that I had only been involved in for a few months. I regained my confidence, and it showed–until I lost my momentum.
A photo gallery depicting iliad Literary-Art Magazine Managing Editor Finley Sleppy’s time in the program is shown. Over the course of the 2025-26 school year, Sleppy incorporated advice from peers into everyday practices, guiding her in finding a core purpose. “Naturally, new relationships started to form, the things that I had loved to do resurfaced, and the old version of myself that most people knew became less vital to me when forming opinions on my own,” Sleppy wrote. Photos from the ODYSSEY archives
My productivity and prioritization have always fluctuated, and it’s something that has continued to push me to eventually break the pattern. iliad adviser David Ragsdale was one of the many people who would take time to check in with me throughout the year. He would iterate the saying, “Make the main thing, the main thing,” as a form of redirection and use it to help me organize tasks.
The phrase, as redundant as it is, led me to look at the big picture of what I was actually a part of. This program and community that I took a risk in trusting gave me a chance to rediscover my purpose and create new opportunities to explore interests that were at one point vacant.
“I found that ‘making the main thing, the main thing’ was never just about writing a news story or managing a journalism program, but about redefining my strengths and finding that person I once thought I lost. ”
Naturally, new relationships started to form, the things that I had loved to do resurfaced, and the old version of myself that most people knew became less vital to me when forming opinions on my own.
Although I have decided to step away from the iliad for the upcoming 2026-27 school year to pursue other endeavors, my time in this program has been invaluable.
When reflecting on how it has impacted this stage of my life, I found that “making the main thing, the main thing” was never just about writing a news story or managing a journalism program, but about redefining my strengths and finding that person I once thought I lost.
Story by Finley Sleppy
Finley Sleppy is a junior at Clarke Central High School in Athens, Georgia and is the Managing Editor for the iliad Literary-Art Magazine. This year, she hopes to grow as a leader and overall creative person by trying things out of her comfort zone and supporting the CCHS community creatively. In her free time, she enjoys playing music, eating all different types of food and hanging out with her friends and family.