Mara Xiong

You were one of the main writer’s for the Berkeley Bugle in Middle Division. What was your favorite memory about being on the Middle Division newspaper?

I don’t have a specific favorite memory, but I always loved the atmosphere of talking and planning with other writers and Mrs. Ellinor. We were a small club, so we really got to know each other and become very close to one another. 

Do you remember any of your old stories?

 I do! Though I realize now that I can't seem to remember exactly when I wrote them - which makes me feel very old 🙂. A couple that stand out from my time with the Berkeley Bugle are a feature of Wesley Girls' High School, an all-girls educational institution in Ghana, and an opinion piece I co-wrote about middle school dating. 

Did you end up writing for Fanfare in High School?

Yes, I did! I was a staff writer my freshman year, a section editor my sophomore and junior years, and eventually a co-editor-in-chief my senior year. 

Are you writing for a paper in college? Or another magazine?

I did write for the Cornell Book Review, a literary review magazine, my freshman year of college. Unfortunately, I don't have as much free time to be involved in journalism as I used to, though I'm still heavily involved with writing through mediums other than journalism. 

Why are you inspired to write in the school newspapers? 

I feel that whether or not you do end up deciding to go into journalism in the future, it is always important to have the ability to think critically and parse out concrete, objective facts. Being a part of a school newspaper teaches you these skills. We live in a world where it's so easy to get your news from TikTok/Twitter/insert name of another social media platform, but many of these platforms are biased and not actually good sources of information. Even "reputable" news sources nowadays can have biases. In an era of globalization where innovation is booming and you're constantly being pushed out of your bubble, you have to learn how to keep yourself informed about the issues and explain them in a factual manner. It's this quality that makes you an informed citizen and allows you to succeed as you meet new people and explore new domains for yourself. 

What was one of your favorite stories you have written?

- During my freshman year of high school, I wrote an article about the 2016 election and how it affected members of the Berkeley community. Politically speaking, the 2016 election was definitely unlike any other (at the time!), and it was so interesting to see how it affected civic attitudes across campus. I remember interviewing several seniors who were very enthusiastic about getting to vote for the first time in what was such an important election.