Writing & Reporting

When the district introduced some changes to their mental health and screening protocols this year, people wondered why. This article takes the format of a Q&A story to best reflect the needs of readers. Familiarizing myself with the new format required research from top publications but rewarded the story in the end; it is straightforward, helpful, and conversational -- which is what people need for a subject matter like this one (mental health).

This news-based feature came as a result of personal experience and common conversations between peers. I always seek to write articles that create discussion. I was challenged when I realized that some people view this subject as a positive development for student workers, as I had previously thought it a negative, but I was able to set that aside and report both of those findings in the article.

Another feature story, this article was intended to report on and process the social effects of the 2020 election on students. The research process was the most extensive and second-most challenging part, as I had nearly 200 people answer a survey regarding their experiences with politics that year. Interviewing people brought difficult conversations about sensitive issues. The most challenging part was reporting fairly, accurately, and in an unbiased manner.

This feature story still remains one of my favorites after two years. After hearing about the retirement of two of our community's favorite business owners, I interviewed them to get the details -- and found myself with their heartwarming backstory that was exactly the human interest kind of feature I love most. I dedicated a lot of time to this story and it received an overwhelming response from the community, with over thirty comments reminiscing about childhoods spent at the roller-rink.