WRITING.
Writing is essential in “telling the story of the year” as my advisor would say. Through storytelling we can create a cohesive narrative that ties together events and people through a theme, providing a snapshot of the community of our school and its journey throughout the year.
DiscoveringWRITING
Throughout my 6 years as a journalist, writing always scared me, so I avoided it. It’s ironic because as a journalist that was supposed to be my job, and I did still write, but it was never anything over 200 words. I think the idea of being responsible to share someone else’s story terrified me because what if I messed up? It wasn’t until junior year of high school when I had an English teacher who described the writing process as sort of like a painting in which you don’t have to write the whole thing at once, but in sections, I discovered my love for writing .
The first story I wrote was small, it was a feature about a student made movie. I definitely think I held myself back when writing my first story, but now I can confidently say I write with my whole soul. The most recent story I wrote was about the experience of a biracial student navigating her identity in which I learned as a writer I have a responsibility to tell even the hard stories.
A CollectionFavorite stories
As a student journalist, my voice should act as a catalyst for action. In my reporting, I've targeted things such as underrepresented social issues and Artificial Intelligence to body dysmorphia, and the effect of Greta Gerwig’s Barbie movie on my school’s culture. Regardless of the subject matter, each was written with my audience at the forefront, and I've made it a goal to continually uplift the voices of students.
LIFE IN PLASTIC IS FANTASTIC
OF MY
VALUABLE BUT VULNERABLE
With the rapid growth of Artificial Intelligent software, these platforms are becoming more prevalent in the classroom. With students utilizing these new technologies, a debate has sprouted on whether platforms like Chat GPT should be allowed in a classroom. When writing this story I wanted to acknowledge all different options on the topic including teacher’s. This piece felt like in investigation on how classroom technologies have to change with time even when students and/or teachers do not want them to.
READ: HERE
SPORTS
A NEW DRIVE
We all have this moment in our lives we have to compromise and stop doing something we love. When I had heard about Marshall’s injury and how he had to give up football which he had been doing since he was 4 I knew others could relate to leaving behind something they loved. This was a sports feature I wrote as Marshall walked me through how he gave up being a kicker in football but fell in love with golf.
READ: HERE
After meeting Kathrine through theater, I learned she became an actress for her mother. When her mom was passing away, they would sit in bed together and watch recordings of Broadway plays. I think stories like these is what makes theater so enticing, as it brings together people from every walk of life and shows we all have our reasons for why we love something.
READ: HERE
Greta Gerwig’s Barbie movie broke so many records and opened the door for conversations about the struggles and inequalities many women face. These conversations were especially apparent around campus as many of my classmates were discussing how they related to the movie. Writing this piece felt necessary to capture this rare moment in time when not only were women openly discussing the prejudices they face, but others were listening, especially men were listening and sympathizing to our struggles.
READ: HERE
CHANGE FOR THE BETTER
I knew a majority of women have experienced a form of disordered eating or thoughts — I had even experienced it myself — but had no sense of its ubiquity. One fact I think many of these articles leave out though is how many woman fight tirelessly to overcome their disordered eating habits. When I met Emily, she opened up to me about how her sport helped her overcome her bulimia. We both agreed her story could help raise awareness for other students who have experienced similar feelings.
Superior for Sports Feature Writing “Change for the Better - Arizona Interscholastic Press Association Oct. 2023
First Place in Sports feature- Quill and Scroll Honors Society Dec. 2023
READ: HERE
SINGING SORROWS
The Talent show marks a time when students can come forward and put on their best show. Yet, for Josie she wanted to display what grief feels like. This article intended to make aware that grief does not always come and go quickly, but that it’s okay as healing takes time.
READ: HERE
DIRECTOR’S TAKE
This was my first story I ever wrote and when I was finally able to overcome my fear of using the wrong words. I’ll never forget sitting at my kitchen table with my reporters notebook coming dangerously close to landing in ketchup while I flipped rapidly through the pages, as I tried to find the perfect words. I laugh a little at this now as I have learned through journalism there is no such thing as perfect but there can be such a thing as right. Right is knowing when the story ends you felt like a candle was blown out.
Superior for Clubs Writing “Director’s Take” - Arizona Interscholastic Press Association Oct. 2023
READ: HERE
WHEN AM I ENOUGH
After the United States Census Bureau reported in 2020 that 10.2% of the population (33.8 million people) are of mixed race, I had a deep conversation with my best friend of 12 years and she opened up to me about the racism she faces because she is biracial. This shocked me as we had been friends for so long and I had just learned about the struggles she had faced as young as 5 years old. This article intended to push awareness about the prejudices many biracial students face.
READ: HERE
FEATURES
A WAY TO REMEMBER
First Place in Performing Arts Writing- Quill and Scroll Honors Society Dec. 2023
FIGHT FOR FIRST
A more light-hearted story, I explored senior Shaunnan Harper’s experience going to state after only wrestling for a year. I had a ton of fun talking with Shaunnan about a more niche topic in our community and unpacking it for our audience.
READ: HERE
L
INVESTIGATIVE REPORTING
UpliftingOTHERS
VOICES
After the United States Census Bureau reported in 2020 that 10.2% of the population (33.8 million people) are mixed race , I had a deep conversation with my best friend of 12 years and she opened up to me about the racism she faces because she is half white and half Latina. This shocked me as we had been friends for so long and I had just learned about the struggles she has faced as young as 5 years old. In a conversation that started in a car and lasted till 3 am we drove around and Hailey explained interactions, comments, and hate classmates have throw at her because she wasn’t “Latina enough”
You can think you know a person and all their ins and out as 12 years of friendship has almost molded me and Hailey to becoming the same person, her experiences with her racial identity was something I never knew she struggled with. Her story opened my eyes to the hatred many mixed race American’s face, as they even face discrimination within their own communities.
Hailey agreed to have me write her story as she said “I want it to be known what people like me face, I know I don’t face the worst of it, but if other people can see they are not alone we can hopefully move to a place where this sort of discrimination doesn’t happen.” Writing this 1400-ish word piece took me over a week. I can only sympathize with Haileys story as I have never once felt the hatred she has been dealt and I was not going to try and pretend I did, but it was important to me her story was shared.
illustration by Toby Hancock
This was a story I wrote hand in hand with her, as Hailey checked my facts and wording to make sure my article meant it’s intended purpose: to push awareness about the prejudices many biracial students face. I felt real pride in fulfilling my duty as a journalist - telling underrepresented stories. Stepping into that role required asking the right questions and pushing through numerous “no’s” and watching Hailey and her families reaction as they read the story was invaluable. That is the hallmark of good journalism – sharing others stories that may have gone untold.
ReportingFACT CHECKING
Reporting, research, and fact-checking are essential in effective journalism because they ensure accuracy, credibility, and accountability in the dissemination of information to the public. Without these practices, misinformation and biased narratives could easily spread, undermining the integrity of journalism and eroding public trust in the media.
After taking on Hailey’s story I dove into about 2 weeks of researching to ensure I had a firm gasp of the topic at hand. I read reaching articles and reports from the The Pew Research Center 2015 on"Multiracial in America" , United States Census Bureau, and Vox’s article The loneliness of being mixed race in America
From research I discovered the rate of mental health problems and depression is significantly higher in mixed raced teens in part due to the stigma they face from friends and family to “pick a side” or “you just don’t look black/Asian/Mexican”. Suicide rates in biracial teens are also growing as 7.9% of biracial teen girls have committed suicide compared their white counter parts at 4.9%.
When writing Hailey’s story, I made it a point to examine the mental health crisis within mixed race students. Hailey shared her own battle with anxiety and how it’s in large part caused by the pressure to feel enough within her cultures.
I feel stories like Hailey’s are important to share because they are telling the struggles someone faces in the hopes that others know that they are not alone in facing issues like racism.
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