Feature writing
Of all sections, feature is by far my favorite section to write for. I enjoy interviewing people I never talk to at school, highlighting the creativity and talent of my peers and gaining new information that I can share with my student body. With the exception of my story about our retiring art teacher, every photo below was taken by me. The story about our two Spanish teachers was selected for Best of SNO.
Hodges promotes project, uncovers history of racial covenants
Nash reminisces on her growth after 33 years
[Illustrated Interview] Rindelaub expresses fears, family and favorites
October 25, 2018
While my good friend was contributing to a new project from the University of Minnesota called Mapping Prejudice, I was enticed by the initiative and how students were getting involved. It turned out a history teacher promoted the project in her advisory and I was quick to interview her and my friend to talk about getting involved and discuss the importance of racial covenants in Twin Cities.
May 9, 2018
Last year, more than five teachers were retiring after very long tenures at our school. I wanted each teacher to have their own feature piece on our site with interactive story elements such as a timeline. To do this, I created teams of staffers to write stories, collected old photos of the teachers and curate the stories. I wrote this one about a beloved art teacher who taught many students from middle school to high school.
March 6, 2018
Inspired by videos created in The New York Times, I wanted to interview a student and illustrate their answers. After asking several questions, I drew quick computer sketches of her answers. The story received national attention and earned 5th place for Cartoon of the Year at the National Scholastic Press Association convention. Since this story, another student on staff this year wrote and illustrated a similar profile with the same theme.
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Weightlifting Club welcomes female-identifying lifters
October 2, 2018
Last year, I wrote a story with another person on staff about the lack of female-friendly equipment, tutorials and access to the student weight room. The following school year, the presidents of the Weightlifting Club sought to promote the inclusion and participation of more female weight-lifters. I attended their meeting time, took photos and participated in the workout to get the full experience before writing the story.
From student to colleague: Daniels and Castellanos speak of relationship, Spanish exchanges
March 30, 2018
I hosted a Spanish exchange student last year from Madrid and in the spring students traveled to Spain over our break to engage with families and learn the history. I coordinated coverage with other exchange trips and their blogs and wrote the Spain blog with another person on staff. The exchange trip was historic for many reasons, including the fact that a former student, who is now a Spanish teacher at our school, attended the trip with his old Spanish teacher who is still at school. The two traveled to Cuba together in 2001 and 17 years later the two were colleagues leading an exchange. I interviewed the teachers on the flight home and wrote the story before school started again to have it up the first week back. I was intrigued by their love of Spanish and unique bond.
Moen uses geography and architecture to pop his personal bubble
November 15, 2016
Excited to start writing for our newspaper, I wrote this feature piece early into my first year on staff about a peer whom I believed was newsworthy because of his infatuation with geography and architecture. Instead of taking a normal headshot, I posed him in front of a projected screen with a maps image of Amersterdam, his favorite city. The photo won 5th place at the Minnesota High School Press Association convention for Newspaper Feature photo.