West Side Story
Everyone has a story
WEST SIDE STORY
The West Side Story (WSS) is Iowa City West High School’s award-winning, student-run publication that covers subjects of interest to West High and the Iowa City community. I served as an Editorials Editor, Copy Editor, and Reporter. During my time at WSS, I won multiple state awards, joined the LA Times High School Insider Student Advisory Board, and witnessed the publication of my works in other newspapers and organizations. More of my work can be found here.
Remodel the Minority | Print Layout – Awarded Best of SNO
Published on April 28, 2020
This opinion article heightens the awareness of a concept called the model minority. It aims to dispel the myth that being labeled as the model minority is a positive thing for the Asian American community.
Published on Feb. 21, 2020
This cover story investigates the underlying racial disparities within the Iowa City community. It aims to show just how prevalent the cultural and societal implications of racism are through incidents of racial profiling, stereotypes, self-segregation, bias, and more.
Published on Dec. 20, 2019
I wrote this editorial to contextualize the board’s decision to go 20-1 against the school district’s social media monitoring presence. It highlights a breach of trust and privacy violation that students have experienced.
Voiceless | Print Layout – Awarded Best of SNO
Published on Nov. 15, 2019
This cover story takes a deeper look into the often unaddressed sexual harassment culture at West High. I profiled the three sources about their experiences and wrote each of their stories.
Playing at Heartstrings – 2020 IHSPA Honorable Mention for Personality Profile
Published on Oct. 3, 2019
This profile covers the story of an international violin prodigy Katya Moeller. At just 15 years old, she has dropped out of public high school in Iowa to tour the world with her instrument.
High School Celebrity | Print Layout
Published on Feb. 25, 2019
In the span of four years, Abbie Callahan ‘20 has grown from a small Instagram cover artist to gracing the stages of TV shows, gig-performing and album-producing. Along the way, music has continually shaped her life and how she evolves as a performer.
High school student goes to American Idol Hollywood Week and releases EP album
Here’s an update I wrote on Callahan after she graced the stages of American Idol and released her EP album to the public.
A Focus on the Future | Print Layout – Awarded Best of SNO
Published on Dec. 29, 2018
This article focuses on dispelling the stigma around a class called iJAG. It provides at-risk students with numerous opportunities to succeed. Many of these students walk through the classroom doors with barriers such as being first-generation or having experienced traumatic events.
The Issue of Internet Security | Print Layout
Published on Dec. 17, 2018
Amid Internet security scandals, the world learned that there are far fewer protections for what is put on the web or picked up by new technological devices than people believe. This story is part of a cover story surrounding data protection in today’s world.
The Miracle Season | Print Layout
Published on April 16, 2018
Hollywood has come to Iowa City, turning a hometown miracle into a nationwide inspiration. West High’s volleyball team fresh off a recent championship loses their star player and team captain Caroline Found in a moped accident. Her teammates and loved ones are faced with insurmountable grief, just as father Ernie Found deals with the loss of his daughter Caroline and his wife Ellyn, who passes away a week after Caroline’s funeral due to end-stage cancer. However, under the leadership of former coach Kathy Bresnahan, the team would overcome all odds to win yet another state championship against rival City High.
Bresnahan would eventually write a book, titled “The Miracle Season.” It would be picked up by LD Entertainment and transformed into a movie. I covered the author’s book signing and the hometown movie premiere. At the signing, I interviewed three strangers on the spot and discovered that all three had children who were on Found’s team!
The Social Media Trap | Print Layout
Published on Feb. 21, 2018
The most popular social media today connect billions of people worldwide. While these accounts give people an insight into the everyday lives of others, it may be increasingly hard for the millennial age to see the reality behind the profile perfection that society demands today.
Conquering College | Print Layout
Published on Jan. 10, 2018
As an increasing number of high school students apply to college each year, just as many diverse perspectives form about college. I examined some of these perspectives at West to redefine what a “dream school” really means.
50 Years at West | Print Layout
- 2018 IHSPA 2nd place winner for In-Depth Team Reporting
- Awarded Best of SNO
Published on Sept. 29, 2017
For my very first assignment as a WSS reporter, I got to co-write the cover story about West High’s fifty-year anniversary. It was an incredible honor to interview the school’s first principal, multiple alumni, and have the opportunity to pour over the pages of every yearbook and newspaper published. The story was featured at the 50th-anniversary celebration.
Published on Nov. 22, 2016
NaNoWriMo, otherwise known as National Novel Writing Month, is a creative writing project that challenges participants to to write a minimum of 50,000 words in the span of a month. I wrote the article, interviewed all the sources, and attended a local NaNoWriMo kickoff event.
Published on Dec. 19, 2016
Ever heard the general consensus that school lunch food seems to be less than appetizing? As a fan of school lunch myself, I decided to investigate this stigma within my high school and get to the bottom of it once and for all. I also designed the spread myself!
West High’s Celebrity | Print Layout
Published on Nov. 30, 2016
This story was the first ever journalism story I ever wrote back in my Intro to the Foundations of Journalism class in 9th grade. I wrote a profile about high school singer-songwriter celebrity Abbie Callahan who had accumulated more than 2,000 followers on her Instagram account. It was selected to be featured on the WSS online publication. I also designed the layout of the print piece myself!
THE GAZETTE
The Gazette is a daily print newspaper and online news source published in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. As of September 2019, The Gazette has a circulation of 32,616 for the daily edition and 37,860 for the Sunday edition. I was fortunate enough to have some of my following WSS pieces published on The Gazette under the guidance of J.R. Ogden.